The Hidden Powers - Book 2: Stones' Awakening
by Aniza
Summary: After defeating Goma and getting their parents back, Max, Rex, and Zoe think that life will become normal again. However, their celebrations are cut short when a mysterious power is revealed hidden inside the stone plates. This discovery will change their lives in more ways than one...
1. Chapter 1 - Of Dummys and Dinos

**Chapter 1**

Max, Rex, and Zoe are at the battlefield, facing Goma in what appears to be forming into an all-out brawl. Max and company proved to be no match for Goma's dinosaur, Eocarcharia. It seems that all will be lost for the three, but who knows what could happen...

This is all so exciting! And I made the story!

At the battlefield...

Max and Rex try to fend off the three space pirates, while Zoe and Goma stare at a bush.

"Zoe, what the heck are you doing?!" yells Max.

She just stares at the bush, the shine in her eyes faded.

"Zoe! ZOE!" yells Max.

"There's... something..." she says, dazed.

"Zoe, snap out of it! This is no time to be daydreaming!" yells Rex.

A twinkle appears once more.

She flinches and gasps slightly, returning to her senses.

"What.. did I...?" she asks.

"Don't ask me." says Rex.

"Spectral punisher!" yells Sheer, activating the card.

Chomp dodges it.

Dr. Z and the alpha gang teleport to their location.

"Dr. Z?!" yells Max.

"YOU IDIOTS LEFT WITHOUT US!" he screams, ticked off.

"Sorry doctor! We had to go!" says Max.

"Shut up! I get a once-in-a-lifetime offer and YOU JUST LEAVE ME BEHIND LIKE A PIECE OF TRASH!" he screams.

"Dr. Z, calm down..." pleads Ursula.

"Yeah! We'll get pulverized if we don't keep calm!" says Zander.

"Oh, alright! Anywho, take these." he says.

He holds out a box with colored wristbands in them. Each has a matching jewel in the center.

"What the heck are these?" asks Rex.

"I created a new device that amplifies the power of the move cards! All you have to do is press the jewel in the center when activating one! It's called Dino Amplifier! Bwahahaha another brilliant invention by Dr. Z!" he yells.

"Oh geez." says Zoe.

"Well, what're we waiting for?!" yells Max, smirking.

"I'm with you, Max." says Rex.

"Alright, let's go!" yells Zoe.

They put on the wristbands.

"Ultimate Thunder!"

"Ultimate Wind!"

"Ultimate Leaf!"

The three hold up their wrists.

"Go, Dino Amplifier!" they say simultaneously.

The jewels send out shockwaves, increasing the attacks' power.

"Whoa, sweet!" yells Max, his eyes twinkling.

The attack hits, turning the three Spectral Space Pirates' dinosaurs back into dust.

"Darn, we should've known that quack doctor would give them some sort of device!" yells Foolscap.

"HEY, WHO'RE YOU CALLING A QUACK DOCTOR?!" Dr. Z yells, Ursula, Ed, and Zander restraining him.

Goma clenches his hands. "Retreat." he says.

The three other pirates swerve around.

"Are you out of your mind?!" yells Sheer.

"Sheer, what're you talking about? Goma isn't out of his mind! If he was, we'd see his brain!" says Gavro.

Foolscap slaps his head. "It's a figure of speech, dummy." he says.

"Oh, right." says Gavro.

"I know, it seems crazy, but..." says Goma. "We can't stay. Give them their parents back."

"Alright..." they say.

They all transport back.

The ship appears and their parents walk out.

Max and Zoe gasp at what they see.

Their parents are perfectly fine, including Zoe's mom.

"M-Mom? But I thought.." she stutters.

"I know. Your father had that same reaction. Apparently they left them thinking I was dead to scare them into surrendering." she says.

"B-But what's with the dummy?" asks Max, totally puzzled.

"What dummy?" she asks, confused.

"Ugh, we left the dummy there to scare you." says Sheer, annoyed.

"WHAT?! WHY YOU... UGH, I'LL KILL YOU!" Zoe screams, Max restraining her. "ARGH! Max let go of me!" she yells, struggling.

"Zoe, hold on,we shouldn't just launch in and say 'I'll kill you!' like that!" he says.

"I don't care! LET ME GO!" she says.

Max cries fake tears.

_Why me...? _he thinks.

The Space Pirates prepare to take off.

"Listen, we're letting you go this time, but NEXT time we won't have you!" says Max.

"Beat it." says Goma, extremely mad.

A vein pops.

"What?! YOU LITTLE- UGH! I"LL KILL YOU!" he says.

Zoe cuts him off. "Man, shut up!"

"I don't care! LET ME AT HIM!"

"Dude, you're such a hypocrite!"

"I AM NOT!"

"YES YOU ARE!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" yells Rex.

They flinch.

"Whoa..." they say simultaneously.

The ship takes off.

"Man, I'm beat. Who else wants to go to my place for ice cream?" asks Max.

"Sure." says Zoe.

"Oh wait, Rex do you have to leave soon?" asks Max.

"Well, we have to go back today, but it's not like right now or anything." he says.

"Great. Let's go!" Max yells.

Zoe smiles a little and then notices a twinkle in a bush.

She walks over and finds a small green crystal in the shape of the grass symbol.

"Zoe! What's taking you so long?!" Max yells.

"I'll be right there!" she yells back.

She picks up the crystal and puts into her pocket before running inside.

_I wonder what it's for..._ she thinks.

Yo! Sooooo sorry for making you wait. How long has it been? I dunno. But still thanks for waiting and I hope you continue to read my Fanfics. Sorry if this chapter stinks I've been getting into Naruto (no thanks to my friends) and I lost some of my awesome ideas in the process. But then again, I DID get even better ideas...

Oh yeah, for those who don't really like Naruto, this series will not be affected by anything like it. Sorry for everyone who thinks Naruto is cool. I like it (well, to an extent) too.

One more thing. It might seem like the whole fight scene seemed rushed, but it's not. The whole "ending so soon" thing was part of the plot from the beginning. Just wanted to throw that out there.


	2. Chapter 2 - Normal or Abnormal?

**Chapter 2**

The gang is at Max's house along with their parents, who are in the living room watching TV. The trio is in Max's backyard. Mrs. Taylor went out to get groceries. Everyone is relaxing, and everything is completely peaceful.

"DAD!"

Well, somewhat peaceful.

"When is mom gonna get back with the ice cream?!" whines Max.

"She'll be here, she'll be here, now can you please be quiet?!" Dr. Taylor yells, watching a TV show. "I'm trying to catch up on the episodes that I've missed on 'Dino Dude'!"

"Ugh. Please." says Max, pouting.

"Max, our parents just got back from some weird ship they've been imprisoned in for 2 years." says Zoe. "Cut them some slack."

"Zoe's right, Max." says Rex. "Chill out."

"I can't believe you're taking his side!" Max exclaims.

Max rambles on and Rex and Zoe look at each other and shrug.

"I'm home!" calls a feminine voice.

Max's head shoots up.

"Who wants ice cream?" she says.

"ICE CREAM!" he exclaims, grinning.

Max runs towards the kitchen, completely forgetting about the clear sliding door that stands in between the inside and the outside.

And what comes next?

**BAM!**

Max hits the sliding door and collapses, his face all red and puffy.

Rex and Zoe bite their bottom lip, trying to hold in their laughter.

"Holy... cow, that's... that's gotta hurt..." says Rex in between laughs.

"Oh, gosh... are you okay?" says Zoe, laughing.

"What does it look like to you...?" he says, fake tears streaming down his face.

The two other teenagers burst out laughing again.

"Not funny..." mumbles Max.

later...

"Okay, now I'm bored." says Rex, collapsing onto the grass.

"What should we do now?" asks Max, also collapsing onto the grass.

"Hmm... Hey, I got it!" says Zoe.

"What?" asks Max.

"We should go to the place we found 2 years ago!" she exclaims.

"Oh yeah! Good Idea!" says Max, sitting up. "Let's go!"

He grabs Rex by the hand and drags him inside and out the front door, with Zoe trailing behind.

"Wait, guys, I think we should tell our-" he starts

Max cuts him off. "Nah! There's no problem with it!" he says, smiling.

…

"Okay, maybe there's a small problem."

Max, Rex, and Zoe are back in the house, their parents telling them off for leaving without "informing" them. The three only made it ¼ of a block before their parents realized they had left the house.

"You left the house without permission!" says Dr. Taylor.

"We know, but-" starts Max.

"Do you have any idea what could have happened?" asks Dr. Cretactia.

"We do, but-" starts Rex.

"We thought something bad happened!" says Mrs. Drake.

"We're fine, but-" starts Zoe.

"NO BUTS!" the three yell, leaning close to the three teenagers' faces.

The three lean back and Max waves a hand in front of his nose. "Ugh, dad your breath stinks." he says.

Rex and Zoe look at him. "Oh, crud..." they say.

"What?" Max looks at them, confused. Then he shifts his gaze to his now fuming father.

"Uh oh.." he says. Max heads for the door at a full sprint.

"MAX GET BACK HERE!" Dr. Taylor yells. Chasing after him.

Max screams as his dad lunges towards him and tackles the 14 year old.

Rex and Zoe look at the pitiful sight, their sweat dropping.

_Oh, geez.. _They think.

Looks like things are pretty much back to normal now. Reuniting with their old friends and meeting their dinos again. It's like a dream come true for the trio. Everything's all good. A little too good... ...for anything can happen...

Their lives could change...

...in an instant.

Okay.. Creepy ending. Anyway, sorry for the short chapter. I promise I'll update within the week. I know, you can't really trust me that much. Well, this time ya can! Laters!


	3. Chapter 3 - Starvation

Chapter 3

The three teenagers are in the backyard, waiting for Dr. Taylor to come and give them their punishment. Rex and Zoe are very calm about the situation, but Max certainly isn't…

"O-oh crud… I-I'm dead meat n-now!" he stutters.

"Well, that's what ya get for pushin your dad's buttons!" says Zoe.

Dr. Taylor walks in, looking completely ticked off.

"You three did something wrong!" he says, pointing a finger at them.

Their sweat drop. _ Why else are we here…? _they think.

"We know." they say in unison.

"Oh. Well, you're getting a punishment!" he says, still pointing a finger at them.

"We know that, too."

"Oh. Well, then since you know everything already, it's time for your punishment!" he says, STILL pointing a finger at them.

He retracts his hand. "Your punishment is…." he starts.

He puts his hand on his chin and thinks.

10 minutes later…

The trio is half asleep when Dr, Taylor yells out "AHA! I'VE GOT IT!"

They flinch and look at the snickering man. "Your punishment is that you don't get dinner tonight." he says.

"WHAT?!" they exclaim.

"More specifically, Max." he says, pointing a finger at his shocked son.

"NO WAY!" he yells.

"Yes way. Rex and Zoe get their dinner cause THEY were smart enough to know not to anger the great Dr, Taylor!" he exclaims, poking his chest out.

Rex and Zoe's sweat drop. _He's worse than Max… _they think.

"However, I'm not letting them off the hook entirely." says Dr. Taylor.

"Huh?" the two teens say.

"Your dinners will consist of half a slice of bread and half a cup of lukewarm milk." he states, trying to hold back any signs of snickering on his face.

The two teens gape. "No way…" they mutter.

"At least you guys actually get something to eat…" Max mutters.

With that, Dr. Taylor walks out, smirking, and leaves the three teens to their business.

" ' A half a slice of bread and a half a cup of lukewarm milk.' " Zoe says, mimicking Dr. Taylor.

"I told you guys we should tell them." says Rex, crossing his arms. "Who could eat that much for dinner and not go searching for more food?"

"Ants." says Max. "That's who. Ugh, at least you guys get something to eat. I've gotta starve."

"Sucks to be you right now." says Rex.

"You said it." says Max. "That's it. Tonight I'm raidin the refrigerator."

The other two teens nod.

That night…

The 3 teenagers are snooping around downstairs looking for anyone who might be nearby.

"The coast is clear." says Max.

They tip-toe into the kitchen and head for the fridge.

Max gasps. The other two teens hiss at him to quiet down.

"B-but look!" he urges.

They all look at the fridge… which is chained up and locked.

They gape.

"What the heck?!" whispers Rex.

"Who chains up a fridge and locks it with a combo lock?!" whispers Zoe.

"My dad, apparently." mutters Max. "My dinner… no….."

Then a huge smile spreads across his face, the moonlight shining down on it so that the other two teens can see.

"What are you smiling about?!" hisses Zoe.

Max points towards the cupboard. The other two teens smile as well and the three head for it.

"My dad is so dumb. He forgot to lock the one place where we kept all of the snacks!" snickers Max.

He opens it to reveal a bare cupboard, not a single thing inside.

"No way!" the three whisper.

"There's absolutely NO WAY that this thing could be empty! We stocked up this afternoon!" says Max, forgetting about the situation.

"SHUT UP!" the two teens hiss.

"Oops." he whispers, slapping a hand over his mouth.

"Check all of the cabinets and anywhere that we might find food!" whispers Zoe.

They look everywhere. In the cabinets, under the tables, in the trash… but they find nothing.

They sneak back upstairs.

"Ya think someone stole it all?" asks Max.

"Are you serious?" asks Rex.

They hear laughing in a room with the lights still on. They rush over quietly and look inside the crack in the doorway. The 3 teens peer inside to find the adults chatting and eating all of the snacks. The three teens gape.

"Well, we found the food." Zoe whispers.

"Yeah. Sort of…" Rex mutters.

"No wonder it was all gone…" Max mutters.

They head into Max's room, sighing. The three collapse on the floor.

"Ugh.. what now?" they groan.

Some dino loving teenagers won't be eatin dinner tonight! So what will happen to our famished friends? Next chapter, the return of an old enemy.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Return of an Enemy

**Chapter 4**

The three hungry teens of Sango City have yet to eat breakfast, and are lying on the living room floor in pain. Hunger pain, that is. And the pain will only get worse because in a couple of hours, something BIG will happen…

And when I say big, I mean big.

"Max, Rex, Zoe! Breakfast is ready!" calls a feminine voice that belongs to Mrs. Taylor.

The three teens are lying on the floor face down. As soon as they hear the "news", their heads shoot up and they run for the kitchen.

The sight is simply amazing. A whole feast is spread out across the table. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, hash browns, strawberries… you name it! And it's all for them…

… okay, maybe not.

"All this is for US?!" Max exclaims. "ALRIGHT! BON APPE-" he starts, running for the food.

"No."

That one word is enough to stop Max dead in his tracks. He screeches to a halt and looks up at his mom, confusion written all over his face.

"W-wha?" Max says.

"Rex, take a seat." she says, smiling. She pulls up a chair for him.

Max gapes.

Rex stalks over to the chair and sits down with a straight face.

"This is for the adults and the Ancients." she says. "You and Zoe's breakfast is over there."

She points to a coffee table with two bowls of oatmeal on top. The two fall over.

"Oh, heck no…" they mumble.

Rex tries to stifle a laugh. Max and Zoe glare at him.

_Why you… _they think.

They trudge over to the coffee table and sit down, their heads hanging.

"Do not tell me this is part of the punishment." Zoe mutters.

"I think it is." Max replies.

Zoe hits him on the head. "This is all YOUR fault." she sneers.

"What?! How is it MY fault?!" he exclaims.

"Cause YOU were the one who dragged us out of there, YOU were the one who insisted it was okay to keep it from them, and YOU were, no, you ARE the most stupid out of the three of us!" she says.

"Okay, 1: I dragged REX out of there, not YOU. 2: You should've TOLD me it wasn't okay, and 3: … well, there's no arguing with that." he says,

"How was **I **supposed to know it wasn't okay?!" she asks.

"You're always the one who's correcting me!" he replies.

"Not all the time!"

"Yes, you do! You're always like 'Max, don't!', 'Max, you can't!' Ugh…"

Meanwhile, everyone (except for Dr. Taylor) is at the table, waiting to start eating. Rex is staring at the two other teens bicker.

_Ha. Those two. They're acting like lovebirds… _he thinks. Then he flinches. _Wait, could that be the case? Holy Dino, it is!_

Max sees him out of the corner of his eye and turns to him. "What're YOU lookin at?!" he asks, annoyed.

Rex closes his eyes. "Oh, I don't know.. Maybe I'm looking at an argument. Or maybe I'm looking at you two lovebirds having one of those relationship problems." he says, crossing his arms.

Max and Zoe's faces turn crimson. They look away from each other shyly.

Rod and Laura burst out laughing, as well as the Alpha gang and Dr. Z.

"Spike, are you ready yet?" Mrs. Taylor calls.

"Two minutes!"he calls back from upstairs.

Silence falls upon the group until it's interrupted by…

…an explosion.

Everyone screams at the loud bang that booms through the house.

"What was that?!" Max exclaims.

"An explosion?!" says Zoe.

"You think?" asks Rex.

The three teens run out to the backyard to find a fire burning from a nearby park. They run for it.

"Max, wait!" calls Mrs. Taylor.

"Rex!" yells Dr. Cretactia.

"Zoe, hold on!" says Reese.

Their parents' calls have no effect on the teens as they head for the fire, determined to find out what happened.

"Why are we heading for the fire again?" asks Zoe.

"To get a better look." says Max.

"Not really answering my question, but I'll save it." she says.

They arrive to the site to find someone they never dreamed of seeing again… Goma.

"YOU again?!" yells Max. "What now?!"

"You inferior humans are no match for me. You cannot stop me." he says.

"Stop you from doing what?!" asks Rex.

"Simple. Becoming immortal." he replies.

"I-Immortal? Why would you want immortality?!" asks Zoe.

"I want to live forever and rule the universe! All shall bow before me! No one can stand in my way! I will destroy all who do!" he exclaims.

The three teens' sweat drop. _ Again with the "ruling" bit? Why is it that bad guys ALWAYS want to rule the universe and crud? _thinks Max.

"But to do that, I must find the crystal pieces that fit into the stone plates." he says.

_Crystal pieces? _thinks Zoe.

"There are six of them, one for each element on the stone plates." he says. "They are shaped just like the design on each plate."

"Hold on, could it be THIS?"

Goma looks at the three to find Zoe holding out the green crystal she found in Max's backyard.

"YES, THAT'S IT!" he exclaims. He growls. "Give it here."

She clutches it in her hand. "Or you'll do what?" she smirks.

Goma growls and summons his dinosaur.

"Crud! We left our dino bracers in Max's house!" says Rex.

"Well then, too bad." says Goma. "Go! Crush that puny girl!"

His dinosaur tries to step on Zoe, but she leaps out of the way.

His dino swings its tail around hitting Zoe on the side and making her crash into the wall.

"Zoe!" Max and Rex yell.

She gets up, a bruise on her right arm.

"Still standing, huh?" asks Goma. "Well, I'll fix that."

He summons a move card. "Go, Venom Fang!"

Goma's dino lunges towards Zoe at high speed. She can't get away fast enough.

"No, Zoe!" yells Max.

A white light appears in front of her and blocks the attack.

"What in the name of-" says Goma.

It engulfs the three teens in itself and disappears, teleporting them.

"NO!" Goma yells.

Okay, so maybe their lives haven't changed YET. But they will. Next time, a secret about the stone plates revealed and a life changing revelation is introduced!


	5. Chapter 5 - Secret of the Stone Plates

**Chapter 5**

After confronting Goma and getting teleporting to Inspirations-knows-where, Max, Rex, and Zoe try to navigate through some ancient ruins of sorts. But all is not as it seems...

Max, Rex, and Zoe are walking through a tunnel lit with torches attached to the walls. They're all very confused, which is pretty understandable considering they were fighting a crazed psychopath one minute then zapped out of their dimension and teleported to some very creepy ancient ruins the next. Now Rex and Zoe have to keep constantly changing the subjects they're talking about in order to keep Max from going nuts.

"So... how long are you staying again?" Zoe asks Rex.

"I'm staying for a week, then I have to leave. But I'll be back. My dad said he discovered an old fossil in Sango City. Well, the future Sango City. He said the fossil is too far gone to observe, though. Then my mom said that maybe it could be observed in an earlier time and then they got an idea to fix the time machine and go back to this time to start observing the fossil and so they decided to make it my birthday present at least that's how they explained it to me." says Rex in one deep breath. He takes a really deep breath and exhales. "Man, that took a lot out of me." he says.

"Okay...? Well, anyway, we're glad you're back." says Zoe. "And happy birthday."

"Thanks, it's good to be back." says Rex.

"Why'd you say that in one breath?" asks Max.

"Uh... no reason..." says Rex. _Shoot, it didn't work... Man, he's gotten a lot more serious. I was SURE he'd laugh or something! _he thinks. _I guess only Zoe has a chance since they've both been together longer. _He smirks. _And probably dating._

The group keeps walking.

10 minutes...

After 10 minutes of walking in a straight line with nothing but rock, Max stops. Red and Zoe stop as well.

"Max?" asks Zoe.

"This is just stupid! We've been walking ahead for 10 freaking minutes and we haven't seen a single thing yet!" exclaims Max.

"Well, what are we supposed to do then?" asks Rex. "There's only one path."

Zoe sighs. "I dunno..." she says, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Max leans against the wall. "Me neither."

The wall Max is leaning on pushes inward. Suddenly, everything starts shaking.

"Max, what the heck did you do?!" exclaims Rex.

"I dunno! This wall just pushed in and- wait, this always happens in the movies! The group of people gets stuck someplace and someone leans against something only to find a secret passage." says Max.

"Really?!" asks Zoe. "Movie references at a time like this?!"

"What? It's true!" exclaims Max.

The shaking stops.

"Well, looks like it was just a small trem-" Max starts.

The floor collapses from underneath them, and the three fall to their deaths.

"What the heck?!" exclaims Max. "You're just gonna kill us like that?!"

No, no I'm just kidding. You don't die... yet.

"NO WAY! I DEMAND A LAWYER!" screams Max.

1000 feet later...

The three land on a pile of rubble.

"OW!" yells Max. "What the heck was that?!"

"I dunno..." whimpers Zoe, rubbing her head.

"Something's wrong." says Rex.

"What?" asks Max.

"We fell for a really long time." says Rex. "We should be DEAD."

"That's weird..." says Max.

"Where are we, anyway?" asks Zoe.

The three are in a cave of sorts. Everything looks the same except for...

"Hey, guys?" asks Zoe.

"What?" the other two ask in unison.

"Look over there." says Zoe.

He points to a pedestal-like rock. On top of it are...

...the stone plates.

"The stone plates!" exclaims Max.

I just said that.

"Oh, shut up." says Max.

"Why are they here?" asks Zoe.

"I dunno. They were at the ship a while ago." says Rex.

"I bet that psycho is behind this!" exclaims Max.

"But he looked so surprised when that light appeared." says Zoe.

"You saw his face? Dude, that light was like10 times brighter than the sun! I'm surprised I didn't go blind!" says Max.

She reaches into her jeans' pocket and pulls out a pair of shades.

"... shades? Really?" asks Max.

"What? I always keep them with me just in case." she says.

"But it was cloudy earlier today!" exclaims Max.

"Yeah, but if I go to the mall I wanna look cool." says Zoe.

"But you haven't been to the mall since we were put in that orphanage!" exclaims Max.

"Really? Wow, that's a miracle." says Rex.

Zoe punches him in the head.

"Sorry..." mumbles Rex.

Zoe rolls her eyes.

The stone plates starts glowing a bright light. Suddenly, the three start glowing like when they first got their stones.

"What the-?!" exclaims Max.

"It's just like..." stats Rex.

"...that time!" finishes Zoe.

"_Chosen ones... please help us... Goma, the leader of the shadow empire, is seeking the powers that lay hidden deep within these stone plates... If he finds them... he will be able to transcend space and time, just like you did back then... If that happens, we will all be in grave danger... please, for our sake... and for the sake of everyone in this world... find the crystals and stop Goma... before it's too late..." _says a female voice.

"That sounds like the voice that warned us about the extinction and those meteors that crashed into earth!" exclaims Max.

"And the Pterosaur!" exclaims Zoe.

"_Yes, it is me... Please... you must stop him... before it's too late..." _says the voice.

"Crystals?" asks Max.

"Too late?" asks Rex.

"Stop him?" asks Zoe.

They all stop glowing.

"No!" yells Max. "Ugh, NOW how do we get out of here?"

"I can tell you how."

They turn around to see a green lizard standing on two feet waving at them.

"It's a lizard." says Rex.

Well, duh!

"I'm not just any lizard, ya know!" it says.

"AHH! IT TALKED!" screams Max.

"Aww! It's so cute!" squeals Zoe.

"Why, thank you, madame." it says, bowing.

"Almost like that gecko from Geico." says Rex.

"You have those types of insurance in the future?" asks Zoe.

"Yeah. But they're a lot more... um... complex than this." says Rex.

"What do you me-" starts Zoe.

The lizard clears his throat.

They turn to it.

"I believe I had the floor, yes?" it asks.

"Oh, uh, right! Sorry." says Zoe.

"Like I was saying, I can tell you how to get out of here. But see, there's something you have to do once you get home." it says.

"What is it?" asks Zoe.

"When you get back home, you have to find the crystals that fit into the bottom of the stone plates. It's the only way to stop Goma." it says.

"Crystals?" asks Rex.

"There are 6 crystals shaped like the element symbols on the stone plates. They fit into the bottom of each piece." it elaborates. "If you would, madame?"

Zoe looks at him, confused, before flinching and reaching into her pocket, pulling out the crystal she found in Max's backyard. She places it before the lizard. It holds a tiny hand out towards the pedestal the stone plates sit on. The grass piece, Zoe's stone, glows and floats towards them.

"Whoa..." says the three teenagers.

The stone turns the opposite direction. Nothing is on the back until the lizard snaps it's fingers and a hole shaped like the crystal appears.

"Look at that!" exclaims Max.

"How did...?" asks Zoe.

"The holes where the crystals are supposed to be put into can only appear by command." says the lizard. "And only those with the powers of the stone plates have command over the stone plates. Only the spirit of the stone plates and I have command. And since the spirit is trapped within the stone plates... well, what I'm trying to say is that I'm your new boss."

"Trapped? What are you talking about?" asks Max.

"Huh? Oh, RIGHT! She didn't tell you about that, did she?" it asks.

"Apparently not." says Rex.

"The spirit of the stone plates, or the Pterosaur, is trapped inside the stone plates, no thanks to Spectre. He trapped her inside the stone plates. He too, has the power of the stone plates, but he doesn't have control over them. Only certain people are granted that privilege. Those people have command over those stone plates. Spectre wants to control the galaxy and obtain immortality, like he said before. Honestly, I don't know why he'd want to live forever, though..." says the lizard. "Ruling the worlds isn't a very easy task, ya know."

"Did you say WORLDS? With an S?" asks Zoe.

"You don't know? Man, what do they TEACH you kids these days?" asks the lizard. "Anyway, there are many worlds other than Earth. They all have inhabitants, including the world Goma lives in. The Shadow Empire exists on a world called-"

"Pluto!" exclaims Max.

They all look at him. The lizard's mouth hangs open, dumbfounded. It regains its composure and coughs.

"uh... no." it says bluntly.

Max falls over.

"Max, Pluto... isn't exactly an actual planet." says Zoe. "It's a dwarf planet."

"Oh, REALLY? Well, then why does it orbit the sun? Why is it round like a planet? Why is it-" starts Max.

The lizard clears its throat.

"We can save that conversation for another day." he says.

"Right, sorry." says Zoe.

"Anyway, the planets you learned about aren't what I'm referring to. There are worlds beyond what you humans currently know. And they won't be discovered by humans for another 1,000 years. So Rex doesn't know about them yet." says the lizard. "The world the Shadow Empire exists in is called Nitakos. The Shadow Empire is the core, or as you humans call it, the capital of Nitakos."

"So.. what do we have to do with it all?" asks Max.

"The first thing you all need to do is find the crystal fragments. It's just like finding the cards and cosmos stones. And the good part is they're found in this time and in your world." says the lizard. "But first, there's something I want to give to you. This charming girl in particular." It bows in front of Zoe, who blushes slightly.

_Bold, isn't he... _think Max and Rex.

"What is it?" asks Zoe.

"Now that you've obtained the grass crystal, you can use it's powers." says the lizard. "Well, more like you can use the move cards as personal attacks and abilities."

"Personal attacks and abilities?" asks Zoe.

"The one who delivers the attacks and abilities are the dinosaurs themselves. But if you use the crystal's powers, you can be the one to deliver the attack. The attacks become stronger if you have a strong will." says the lizard. "But... there are 2 things you have to give up."

"What?" asks Rex.

"The first thing you have to give up is your dinosaur." says the lizard.

"WHAT?!" exclaims Zoe.

"You fuse with your dinosaur. That's how you can deliver attacks yourself. And don't worry. If you fuse with your dinosaur, you can still communicate with them. They'll be able to talk." says the lizard.

"Paris... will be able to talk?" asks Zoe.

"Yeah. But you won't able to hold Paris or see her or anything like that. You can only talk to her." says the lizard.

"...what about... after this is all over?" asks Zoe.

"You can extract her from your body. Though, it can be painful." says the lizard. "So.. what do you want to do?"

Zoe looks at it in uncertainty, then to Max and Rex.

"I..." she starts. "I..."

"C'mon Zoe! You can do it!" says Max. "Paris will come back after we beat that guy's sorry butt!"

"Easy for YOU to say! You don't have to do this!" she exclaims.

"They'll have to do it after they find their crystals." says the lizard. "That is, if you agree to go through with this."

"WHAT?!" exclaims Max.

"So, again... what do you say?" asks the lizard.

"I..." says Zoe, looking down, her bangs covering her eyes. "I'll.. I'll do it... with one condition."

"And what is that?" asks the lizard.

"Promise me..." she starts. She looks up with a serious look on her face. "Promise me you'll bring them back after this is all over!"

"I promise." says the lizard. "Oh, I forgot. There's one more thing you have to give up."

"What's that?" asks Zoe.

"In order for you to go through with this... a part of you has to die." says the lizard.

"WHAT?!" the three teens exclaim.

Angsty, isn't it? So what will happen to Zoe? Will she be the same as before after this? Will the D-Team start their journey to find the crystals? Find out next time!

And once again, SO SORRY for the late update. I've been... traveling.

Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 6 - Sacrifices and Resolutions

"WHAT?!"

After being told that a part of the female member of the D Team has to die, Max, Rex, and of course, Zoe, look at the tiny lizard with extremely wide eyes.

"Did... did you say a part of me... has to DIE?" asks Zoe.

"Okay, maybe I didn't say it right. You have to give up part of your body. Like a leg, or an arm." it says.

"Wait, wait, wait wait, wait, wait, WAIT." says Zoe. "I.. have to give up a body part? Why?!" she exclaims.

"It's a necessary action. It's a universal law that you have to give up the same amount you receive. No less, no more." says the lizard.

"So if I said I wanted to give up my right leg, you'd..." she starts, gulping. "...you cut it off...?"

Max goes purple at the thought of his leg getting cut off with a machete or light saber. Rex gulps as well.

"No, no, no." says the lizard. "You just won't be able to feel it. It'll go all numb."

"That's not... helping much..." she says. "Is there anything else I can give up instead?"

"You could give up one of your five senses." says the lizard. "Like your vision or hearing or sense of smell. You could also give up your voice."

"Still..." she says. "It's a bit much..."

"You could cut off your hair." says the lizard.

"My... hair?" she asks.

"Yeah. That should do." says the lizard.

"Wait, so she's gonna be BALD?!" exclaims Max.

"No, don't worry about that. She just has to cut it above her shoulders." says the lizard.

She looks at it and sighs. "Alright, I'll give up my hair." she says.

"Excellent!" the lizard chirps.

It snaps its fingers and a dagger appears in front of Zoe.

"A... dagger?" she asks.

"Yeah, what's wrong with a dagger?" asks the lizard.

"... we... use scissors nowadays..." says Zoe.

"That's already been invented in your time?!" exclaims the lizard. "Wow. I really need to catch up."

Zoe pulls her hair over her left shoulder, bending slightly. She grips the knife. In one swift motion, she cuts her hair just above her shoulders. Her once long hair falls to the floor in clumps. She stands straight again. Max blushes.

The dagger disappears at the lizard's second snap.

Zoe shivers at the soft brush of her short hair on her neck.

She turns to Max and Rex.

"... do I still look okay?" she asks in a small voice.

"You look-" starts Rex, getting cut off my Max.

"You look as beautiful as ever..." breathes Max, slightly dazed.

Zoe blushes crimson.

"Well, it looks like SOMEONE has a crush..." it says teasingly.

Max, regaining his senses, slaps his hands over his mouth and blushes a deep red.

Rex simply smirks.

"So now that's done, I need to ask you all a very important question." says the lizard.

"What's that?" asks Rex.

"Your newest adventure starts now." says the lizard. "Are you ready to face your new challenges?"

The three nod, confident yet slightly apprehensive.

"These new challenges will be more difficult and dangerous than anything you've ever faced." it says. "Goma is ruthless, and he won't hesitate to do what he must in order to reach his goal. Even if it means... he has to kill someone for it."

The three gulp.

"Zoe, you are probably going to be a major target now that you can use Paris' move cards. You need to be careful. He probably won't think twice before attacking you." it says.

Zoe clenches her fist.

"Don't worry about it! As long as I'm here, nothing's gonna happen to my Zoe!" exclaims Max.

Rex smirks. "'My Zoe'?" he asks.

Max and Zoe blush again.

"You all have one week to prepare. Then you will be brought back here. It won't be a long meeting, you just need to retrieve your stones." says the lizard.

"Why can't we have them now?" asks Max.

"We need them to fuse Paris with Zoe. It drains the stones' power so they need time to "recharge", meaning you have one week to prepare." says the lizard. "Actually, we can fuse you two right now if you want." says the lizard.

"But I don't have her-" starts Zoe.

"Card?" asks the lizard. He snaps his fingers (again) and Paris' card appears in front of Zoe.

"Wow." says Rex.

"Now. Madame, if you could stand right there." says the lizard, pointing to a circle engraved in the floor.

Zoe steps in the circle. The lizard places the card in a circle next to Zoe's. It holds its hands out and wind surrounds both the card and Zoe. The card glows green, but doesn't activate. It flies over to Zoe and turns into green light, going into her chest.

The wind stops swirling around both circles. Zoe stumbles and collapses.

"Zoe!" exclaims Max. both him and Rex running over to her sleeping form.

"The process is quick, but rather exhausting. She'll need time to rest, but she'll be okay." says the lizard.

Max picks her up bridal style and blushes.

"You guys are free to go now. See ya in a week." says the lizard.

The light that transported them before reappears.

They disappear and reappear in Max's backyard, where their families are waiting in worry.

They notice the three teens and gasp.

"Max!" exclaims Dr. Taylor.

"Rex, we were so worried!" cries Dr. Cretacia, embracing Rex.

"Zoe?! What happened to her?!" exclaims Reese.

"She's fine. She just passed out." he says.

"Why? What happened?" asks Dr. Ancient.

Max sighs. "We'll explain everything." he says.

An hour later...

Everyone is in Max's living room. Zoe is upstairs in the guest room, sleeping.

"So... Zoe can use Paris' move cards?" asks Dr. Taylor.

"Interesting... And you say the crystals are located in our time and in our world?" asks Reese.

"Yeah." says Rex.

"If that's the case, we can use the teleporter. I can have it ready by next week." she says.

"Thanks Reese." says Max. "And about Zoe..."

"It's okay. You said she'll be fine, so there shouldn't be a problem." says Reese.

"No, it's not that." says Max. "The truth is, I'm worried about Goma. If he starts a fight, I don't know if she'll be able to defend herself."

"That's true. After a transformation like that, it wouldn't be uncommon for her to be weak for a few days." says Dr. Taylor.

"And I suppose you're an expert on the subject?" asks Ms. Taylor.

"Well, no, but, I, uh..." says Dr. Taylor. "It... seems logical enough, right?" he asks.

"Makes sense to me." says Dr. Drake.

"If that is the case, I don't want her fighting if Goma DOES attack us before next we-" starts Max.

"No..."

They all turn to see Zoe standing at the bottom of the stairs, panting.

"Zoe!" exclaims Reese.

"I... know... that I... can... defend myself... After all, I... have the powers... of the grass stone, right...?" she asks between pants.

"But Zoe, you're-" starts Rex.

She clenches her fist and her panting suddenly stops.

"I'm FINE." she says. "If you guys get hurt because I wasn't there, it'll be my fault. And we're doomed. Besides, I have Paris with me."

"But... has she-" start Max.

"I've already talked to her. She'll tell me what to do to defend myself." says Zoe.

"Still..." says Max. "It's too dangerous..."

"Please, Max. For our parents' sake... For the whole universe's sake, please." she pleads. "You don't want anything happening to the people you love, do you? And besides..." She smirks despite the situation. "... you wouldn't want to die before meeting your special girl, would you?" she asks.

"But I've already met her!" Max exclaims. "It's y-"

He slaps a hand over his mouth. Rex smirks (again).

"Uh.. I mean, It's YOU we're talking about here... heh heh..." he says, scratching the back of his head and blushing. "A-Any way, are you sure you're up for this?"

She nods, confident. "Definitely." she says.

"Max and Rex stand up.

"All right then... The D-Team is back in action!" exclaims Max.

Yay! Now things are starting to take off! Next week, a duel between Goma and the D-Team and Zoe's new powers put to the test! Adios!


	7. Chapter 7 - The Spirit's Awakening

Chapter 7

Now that Zoe has the powers of the grass stone, she is determined that the three of them will be able to defeat Goma should they cross paths before a week is up. However, Max is still unconvinced she can handle it...

The three teens are in Max's backyard. The men are watching something on TV and the women are cooking lunch. They're not sure what to do, considering everything that's happened.

"So..." starts Rex.

"..."

The three of them are just sitting on the grass, apparently doing nothing. Zoe sighs.

"What now...?" she mumbles.

Max grits his teeth.

"I dunno..." says Rex.

Max clenches his fist.

"There's not really anything we can do..." says Rex.

Max shuts his eyes very tightly.

"AHH! THAT'S IT, I'M DONE!" he screams.

Rex and Zoe look at him with slightly wide eyes.

"...wha...?" asks Zoe.

Max jumps to his feet.

"We've been sitting here for hours and we haven't been doing ANYTHING! It's so boring!" he whines.

"Well, what're we supposed to do?" asks Rex.

"For ONE thing, we've gotta go someplace!" yells Max. "We can't just SIT here for a week!"

"You know... he's got a point." says Zoe.

"He does?" asks Rex.

"I do?" asks Max.

"Look, the lizard thing gave us a week to prepare. We should use this time to get ready for what's ahead, right?" she asks.

"But still..." says Rex. "Are we really gonna use a whole week just to TRAIN?"

"Oh, HECK, no!" exclaims Max.

"Are you kidding me?" asks Zoe. "Of course not! When I said prepare, I mean have as much fun as possible and engrave it in our memories."

"What do you mean?" asks Max.

"Face it. This is gonna be harder than anything else we've faced before." says Zoe. "A lot more is at stake now. At least, a lot more that we know about. We... we might not get the chance to do what we want to do together anymore..."

Max and Rex look at her with reluctant faces.

"Which is why..." she starts. "...We're gonna have fun and burn the memories in our heads!"

"Yeah!" exclaim Max and Rex.

Over the course of 6 days, the three of them went on all sorts of trips to different places in the city, including places even Max and Zoe haven't visited yet.

On the seventh day...

Max, Rex, and Zoe are in the field where they first reunited. They've been to lots of places over the past six days, and now they're going to rest on their last day.

"So... what now?" asks Rex. "Today's the last day."

"We've been everywhere in the city... I'm traveled out." says Zoe.

"I guess we can just stay here for the rest of the time..." says Max.

"I wouldn't count on that..."

The three spin around to find Goma and his three henchmen standing behind them.

"N... No way..." breathes Zoe.

"W..." starts Max. "Why is it always HERE?! YOU ALWAYS SHOW UP HERE OF PLACES, DARN IT!"

"I didn't really want to cause a scene..." says Goma. "...and you all have been so busy this past week so I decided to catch you when you were resting."

"Seriously?" asks Rex. "Why not just catch us off guard? It gives you the advantage, doesn't it?"

"I wanted you all to be ready..." says Goma, taking out his Eocarcharia card. "... so I could have a good fight this time."

"Ahh, so you're not gonna run away this time?" asks Max. "Good, cuz I really hate fighting cowards."

Goma smirks. "You're one to talk." he says. "Didn't you run the first time we encountered each other here?"

Max freezes. _...right... _he thinks.

"No matter." says Goma, activating the card. "You won't be able to insult me much longer..."

Max and Rex pull out their cards.

"Dino slash!" they exclaim. "Go, Dino, Tector, On!"

Chomp and Ace appear in their armor.

Zoe closes her eyes. _Paris... Can you hear me? _she thinks.

_Yes, Zoe. I can hear you._

_Please, tell me how to use the power given to me... _thinks Zoe.

_Hold your right hand above you with your palm facing forward. Make sure your eyes are closed. All you have to do then is say, "Herba, Gramen, Pratum, Schoenus, grant me your power", and you will be able to transform._

_What about the dino tector? Will I be protected at all? _thinks Zoe.

_That is the catch, I'm afraid..._

Zoe looks down, hesitant.

_But..._

Her head snaps up.

_..,your friends are strong. I know they'll protect you._

Zoe smiles. "Thank you, Paris..." she says.

"What are you mumbling about over there?" asks Goma. "And where exactly IS your dinosaur? Don't tell me you're too scared to fight, because if you are-"

"Don't start talking nonsense."

Everyone looks at her.

"I definitely plan on fighting." she mutters. "And by the time I'm done with you, you're gonna be a half-dead piece of flesh under my foot."

Goma's henchmen gulp. Max shivers.

_Man... Talk about killing intent... _he thinks.

Zoe closes her eyes and holds her hand in front of her like Paris told her to do.

Goma looks on in uncertainty.

"Herba, Gramen, Pratum, Schoenus, grant me your power..." she chants.

She starts glowing green and green light starts enveloping her. The light bursts, and Zoe is still standing in the same position with her eyes closed. She slowly opens them, revealing them to have turned from purple to green. A mark in the form of the grass symbol lies on her forehead.

"Zoe..." breathes Max.

"What...?" asks Goma. "Did.. Did you just invoke the powers of the grass stone?!"

"I did." she says. "And now.. I'm going to destroy you."

Rex looks at her in worry. _What...? She's never acted like this before..._ he thinks.

She starts walking up to him.

"Zoe, wait!" yells Max.

"Boss!" yells Sheer.

"Stay out of this." says Goma.

"But, sir, we-" starts Foolscap.

"I said stay out of this." repeats Goma.

He approaches Zoe, who stops right in front of him.

"You fused with your dinosaur, didn't you?" he asks.

"That's right." she says.

"So the Pterosaur wasn't completely immobile in the stone plates, was she?" he mutters.

"Yeah." says Zoe. "Seems like you didn't do such a good job in keeping her unable to intervene."

"I suppose not." he says. "But..."

He pulls out his move card.

"I can still kill you." he says. "Go, Venom Fang!"

Zoe jumps back, nearly missing the attack. She throws her right hand up, raising her index and middle fingers.

"Metal Wing!" she yells.

The symbol on her forehead glows green, and three Pteranodons appear and surround Zoe. A green sword with a green crystal band wrapped around the lower end of the blade. She grips it.

"Go." she says in a hollow voice.

The three Pteranodons fly towards Eocarcharia, and Zoe grabs onto the leg of the last one. She lets go, landing on the dinosaur's back. The three Pteranodons slice up Eocarcharia, weakening it dramatically.

"Why is Metal Wing so strong?" asks Max.

"Maybe it's connected to Zoe's will." says Rex.

"But if that's the case..." says Max. "...then it means she's in for the kill..."

Both gulp.

One of the Pteranodons flies up to Zoe. She grabs on and the dinosaur takes her above Eocarcharia. She lets go of the Pteranodon's leg and raises her sword.

"Haaaaaah!"

She shouts and drags the blade down the beasts's neck. It shatters and returns to its card.

Goma and everyone else stares in shock. The Pteranodons and the sword disappear.

Goma's henchmen gulp.

"W...What the heck...?" asks Foolscap.

"She... she's in for the kill..." whimpers Sheer.

"WE'RE OUTTA HERE!" the three scream, running away.

"Hey, wait-" starts Goma.

Zoe holds her hand out. A wall of thorns stops the three dead in their tracks. They look behind, shaking in fear.

"You three aren't going anywhere..." says Zoe, her face like that of a killer.

Max and Rex stare at her, their pupils dilated.

"She... That's not..." breathes Rex.

"That's not Zoe..." says Max.

Zoe's eyes dilate and she stumbles forward, falling on her hands and knees.

"Zoe!" exclaim Max and Rex.

She starts panting heavily and coughs.

Rex grits his teeth. "We're gonna have to take over now..." he says. "You ready, Max?"

"Heck yeah I am!" he exclaims.

"Ultimate Thunder!"

"Ultimate Wind!"

Chomp and Ace attack, taking out Gavro and Foolscap's dinosaurs. Sheer's still remains standing.

"Nice try, but you can't defeat me!" yells Sheer. "Spectral Punisher!"

"Alright, then we'll-" starts Max.

"She's mine."

Zoe gets up and holds her right hand in front of her. Green light starts pulsing through her body.

"Ultimate Leaf!"

Wind and leaves start encircling her. She kicks off the ground with her left foot and charges toward Sheer's dinosaur.

"What the-?!" exclaims Sheer.

She jumps up and launches herself towards the dinosaur. Her right hand glows green and she punches the beast between the eyes. The impact pushes her back and she flips in midair, landing on her feet.

The dinosaur shatters, returning to its card. Sheer steps back a little.

"N...No way... She attacked it herself...?" she stutters.

Goma looks at Zoe in shock and slight fear. He opens his mouth to command his time machine to appear, but Zoe darts behind him and grabs his arm, twisting it behind his back.

"Ngh..." mutter Goma.

"Zoe!" yells Max.

Zoe tightens her grip. "Get ready for your recompense." she mutters, her voice merciless.

"Like heck will I surrender to a child..." mutters Goma.

Zoe pulls his arm back further.

"Ahh!" he yells.

She narrows her eyes at him.

"Do you want to die...?" she asks, her voice laced with poison.

"Zoe, wait a minute..." starts Rex.

She looks at him fast. Her eyes bore through his. Rex takes a step back, looking at her blank eyes.

"... her eyes... They're... so blank..." he breathes.

Max grits his teeth. He grunts. "Zoe!" he yells.

She looks at him.

"Stop! You can't kill him! Not... not yet, anyway!" he says. "It's too early for this! You have to stop!"

Her eyes widen in the slightest.

"If you kill him before the time is right, things might get worse than it already is!" he yells.

She narrows her eyes at him. "No... Now is the time to kill him." she says.

"No, it isn't!" he yells. "What if the Pterosaur gets trapped in the stone plates forever because he wasn't alive to undo whatever he did? What if his soldiers come after you? Think about it, if you do this, you'll become a murderer!"

Her eyes widen again. The blank look disappears.

"Do you really want to be a murderer?!" he yells.

Her hands start shaking and she loses her grip on Goma's arm. Goma pulls away and runs towards his henchmen, whistling.

His time machine appears in the sky. A beam of light shines on the four.

"Don't think it'll get any easier for you..." says Goma. "And you!"

He points to Zoe. She looks at him.

"You're my new target." he says. "Be ready to die."

She narrows her eyes at him as he teleports to his ship and they depart. She collapses forward.

"Zoe!" yell Max and Rex.

She hits the ground, a tired look on her face.

"Is she okay?" asks Rex.

"I don't know..." says Max.

"We should ask that lizard thing about this tomorrow." says Rex.

"Yeah." says Max, picking up Zoe.

They all go to Max's house, where they stay for the rest of the day. Max and Rex sit in the backyard, not uttering a word while Zoe sleeps in peace on the couch in the living room. Max looks back at her.

"_... who are you?"_

Angsty, huh? Nah, not really. Sorry this took so long and thanks for your patience. Next chapter, the return to the cavern and a mission explained!


	8. Chapter 8 - Search Around the World

Chapter 8

The gang, excluding Zoe, is in Max's backyard, sitting on the grass. It's 9:00 in the morning and the lizard still hasn't teleported them back to the cave yet.

Max sighs. "Man, when is that lizard gonna pick us up?"

"It's strange..." says Rex.

Max looks at him.

"We were able to summon our dinosaurs in that last battle, but we never had our stones." says Rex. "So how were we able to use them?"

"Oh yeah!" exclaims Max. Rex clamps his mouth shut.

"Don't wake her up, idiot." he mutters.

"Whoops." he murmurs in a muffled voice.

Rex removes his hand from Max's mouth. The latter sighs.

"... I'm worried." he says.

"About what?" asks Rex.

"Zoe." says Max.

"... because of what happened earlier, right?" asks Rex.

Max looks off to the side. He grabs his knees, sitting in a slightly crouched position.

"Yeah.. She started acting so weird after she used the grass stone's powers..." he says. "She seriously wanted to defeat Goma..."

"I know... It was like she was going for the kill..." murmurs Rex.

"She WAS."

Rex flinches and looks at Max. The latter clenches his fists.

"What do you mean... she WAS...?" exclaims Rex.

Max shifts his gaze to Rex. His eyes become hard.

"I meant exactly what I said." he says in a low voice. "She said it herself."

/Flashback/

Max grits his teeth. He grunts. "Zoe!" he yells.

She looks at him.

"Stop! You can't kill him! Not... not yet, anyway!" he says. "It's too early for this! You have to stop!"

Her eyes widen in the slightest.

"If you kill him before the time is right, things might get worse than it already is!" he yells.

She narrows her eyes at him. "No... Now is the time to kill him." she says.

/End of Flashback/

"She DID say that..." whispers Rex.

"We've gotta ask that lizard thing what happened..." says Max.

All of a sudden, the blinding light that transported the teens to the cave reappears, taking Max and Rex.

"Wait, what about Zoe?!" yells Max.

"It's too late!" replies Rex.

Both scream as they are pulled into the light. Zoe is still in the living room, her sleeping form laying on the couch.

In the cave...

The light reappears. Max and Rex fall out of the light, landing on top of each other, and the light fades.

"Where... are we?" asks Max.

Rex looks up to find the pedestal with the stone plates sitting on top.

"We're back in the room with the stone plates!" he exclaims.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here?"

Max and Rex look to the left to see the lizard standing on a rock.

"You two look like you got into a pretty gnarly smack-down." it says.

Both eye the lizard.

"I don't suppose it was over... the girl..." it smirks. "Eh, eh?"

The boys' eyes widen to the size of plates. The lizard snaps his fingers. "I knew it!" it proclaims.

Max and Rex scramble to opposite ends of the chamber. The lizard chuckles.

"So... it's finally time to begin your quest." it says.

Max regains his composure. "What about Zoe?" he asks.

The lizard tilts his head down the slightest bit.

"I've seen what happened with Goma... it seems that the grass stone's powers have a bigger effect on her than anticipated..." it murmurs.

Max gives the lizard an incredulous look. "EFFECT? Dude, she went in for the kill! You call that an effect?"

The lizard shrugs. "Yeah. It's not really that surprising when you've seen Goma in the act."

Rex's eyes narrow. "What do you mean?" he asks.

Silence fills the air, creating a tense atmosphere. Max's palms start to sweat, and both boys' breathing become eerily audible. The lizard inhales slowly.

"...The lord of the shadow empire... universal overlord of the dead.. Goma, the death reaper." it mutters.

Max's chest tightens.

"He doesn't just steal like his father did. No, he's worse than that." the lizard continues. "He KILLS."

Rex's breathing starts to quicken.

"Not just single killings, either." says the lizard. "Mass killings. I don't know the precise number of victims since I haven't been active for the past 10 millennial. But if I had to guess..."

He looks them dead in the eye.

"...I'd say about five thousand individuals per century."

The boys' breathing hitches.

"F-Five th-thousand...?!" Max stutters.

"Per century. And he's been doing this for about 1,000,000 years if I'm not mistaken." the lizard replies.

"So that means..." starts Rex. He suddenly stops breathing.

"What?" asks Max.

"T-That means..." Rex manages to choke out. "He's killed... 50,000,000 people!"

Max's eyes widen. "...that many...?" he asks in a weak voice.

"Don't let this discourage you."

Both boys turn to the lizard.

"If you are able to gather the crystals and tap into their power, there's a good chance you will be able to survive." it says. "However, you must be careful. Dinosaurs have always had a malicious side to them, even herbivores. That malicious nature is present in the crystals, so when you use their power, that maliciousness might corrupt your mind. No matter what, you cannot allow it to do so. You've already seen the results of that corruption."

Max looks down and clenches his fists, remembering Zoe's ruthless assault on Goma and his henchmen.

"But wait," starts Rex, causing Max and the lizard to look at him. "We won't be able to use the crystals' powers until you do that ritual thing."

"I know..." says the lizard. "Which is why you're going to use your dinosaurs."

Both boys perk up at the realization that they will be able to reunite with their respective dinosaurs. The lizard catches onto this, and continues.

"Don't take this lightly."

Max and Rex look at it.

"There isn't time for a reunion. As soon as you get the crystals and head back here, you will have to take part in the ritual. There won't be any time to catch up with your dinos." it says.

The boys' eyes sullen at the thought.

"Fear not," says the lizard. "It's as I said before. You will be able to hear your dino because when you tap into the crystals' powers you will basically fuse with your dinosaur. And after this is over, you can choose to separate with your dino."

Max and Rex nod.

A pregnant pause falls on the three. Both boys shift their gazes in thought.

"So... with this in mind... are you ready?" asks the lizard.

An apprehensive look crosses the boys' faces and then disappears, leaving a steel resolve in its place.

"Yes." they reply.

"Good. I'll send you to your first destination in a minute." the lizard says. "First, I want to make sure you're prepared for the battles ahead of you."

It snaps its fingers and the stone plates appear, basking in a soft white. The lizard snaps again and a flat rock appears in front of the boys, a number of weapons and supplies spread across.

"What are the weapons for?" asks Max.

Rex facepalms.

The lizard sighs. "Don't you remember what I said about Goma?"

A look of thought crosses the brown haired boy's face. The lizard groans.

"He's killed MILLIONS of people!" it shouts, snapping Max out of his thoughts. "Not to mention, sometimes he did it out of sheer BOREDOM! I'm pretty sure he'd kill you too since the crystals are what he's been searching for thousands of years now!"

Max's eyes widen. "...right." he mutters softly.

The lizard sighs. "Never mind. Just grab your weapons and supplies so you two can depart."

Rex looks around at the spread of weapons and grabs a bow and a couple of silver arrows. He inspects them.

"Those arrows are excellent for long range battle." says the lizard. "If you shoot them right, they can fly at break neck speeds."

"Really?" asks Rex.

The lizard holds its hand out and a target appears on the wall of the chamber. Rex grabs an arrow and puts it in its position in the bow, pulling it back. He fires the arrow and it shoots across the room at the speed of light, hitting a bullseye.

"Seems like the appropriate weapon for you." says the lizard. Rex nods.

Max looks around and notices a couple of daggers.

"Short range." says the lizard. "They're enchanted, so if you manage to land a hit in the right place, it'll effect a part of their body. Most likely an internal organ or bone. I think paralysis comes about the victim if you get them in the back."

"Huh." Says Max. 

"You should be careful, though. There daggers can only disable a body part once every battle. After that, they're just plain daggers. Unless you manage to find your crystal, you'll be fighting without a trump card." Warns the Lizard.

Max nods.

"I've been meaning to ask," says Rex. "Zoe created a sword when she was fighting Goma and his henchmen. But how did she do that?"

The lizard put a hand to its chin. "Hm.. It's possible she manipulated one of her moves so it would become compatible with her. Say, what move did she use?" it asks.

"I think it was Metal Wing." Said Rex.

"That explains it. Metal wing involves Pteranodons slicing through the opponent. She probably used that idea and had a sword appear as well." Says the lizard. "And as for her other moves, instead of her dinosaur making the attack, she did it herself, right?"

Max and Rex nod.

"There's your answer. You two will be able to do that too once you find your respective crystals." It says. "So, have you two found the right match for you?"

Both boys nod. The lizard holds a hand out.

"Very well. Off you go, then." It says.

Max and Rex flinch. "Wait, what?!" exclaims Max.

"It's time for you two to begin your journey." Says the Lizard. "Do not worry. As I've said, all the crystals are on Earth in your time. Once you've collected a crystal, I'll bring you back here. I will bring Zoe here once she wakes up and tell her what has happened."

Max and Rex nod. A portal appears in front of the lizard's hand, revealing a sandy desert on the other side. The boys look at each other and nod, walking in.

The portal disappears and the lizard walks over to a rock with a crystal ball placed over it. An image of the boys walking out of the portal appears.

"Good luck."

In the desert…

"Where are we?"

Max looks at Rex. The latter looks around and spots something in the distance. He squints his eyes before gasping.

"It's a pyramid!" he exclaims.

"Wait, so we're…" starts Max. "…back in Egypt?"

Rex nods. "Yeah, I think so."

"So what now?" asks Max.

"I dunno."

"We should probably start walking."

"Where to?"

"Uh… how about the pyramid?"

"Yeah, good idea. There's a chance there are tourists there. If there are, then at least we know that we're not in the middle of nowhere."

"That's true."

The boys make their way to the pyramid. They finally reach it. Max spots an entrance.

"Hey, look at that." He says. "Do you think the crystal's in here?"

"Maybe." Says Rex.

"_I can tell you."_

The boys flinch.

"Did you hear that?" asks Rex.

Max nods.

"_It's me, the lizard."_

"How are you speaking to us?" asks Rex.

"_The power of the stone plates. Through the ancient language, or antiquissima locutione. It literally means 'ancient language' in Latin."_

"Okay… So, where's the crystal?" asks Max.

"_It's in the heart of the pyramid. I can guide you. But be warned, Goma's men might be in there."_

"Alright." Says Rex.

The two walk in, Rex turning on his pocket light. Carvings adorned the walls of the passage. The two marvel at the artwork.

"Wow…" says Rex.

Max looks ahead. "Hey, it's a split off." He says, pointing to where the passage split.

"_Take the left one."_

The boys walk in. Suddenly something crawls across the floor, brushing against Max's leg. He screams.

"_What happened?"_

Rex jumps a bit and points his light to Max. Suddenly something chirps. He points the light to the floor to see a mouse crawl into a hole in the wall. He looks at Max and sighs. The latter chuckles sheepishly.

Rex rolls his eyes and continues forward.

"_Scaredy cat."_

Max growls and catches up with Rex. The two continue. They see the hall widen into a room at the end. A light shines from the back of the room.

"Hey, what's that?" asks Max.

"I dunno." Says Rex.

Max runs forward. Rex reaches out a bit.

"Hey, wait-" he starts.

Max runs to where the light is shining from and looks to see a yellow crystal embedded in the wall.

"Hey, is that?" asks Max.

"_It is."_

Rex runs up to him and spots the crystal as well.

"Hey, that's a crystal!" he says.

"Thank you for finding it for us."

The two boys whip around to see Gavro, Foolscap, and Sheer smirking at them. Sheer holds out her hand, holding a card.

"The crystal is ours." She says.

Max growls. "No way! You're not getting it!" he yells.

"Is that so?" asks Foolscap. "Well, the only way to find out is to fight."

"Wait, we don't have our cards, how're we gonna fight?" asks Rex.

"_You have to get the crystal! It's the only way!"_

Max growls and turns to Rex. "Rex, you distract them. I'll get the crystal." He says. The latter nods, taking out his bow and an arrow.

The three henchmen summon their dinosaurs. Max and Rex grit their teeth.

It's now or never.

Yeesh, I didn't think it'd take this long! Phew, sorry for the wait. Next chapter will be juicy, though! Thank you all for sticking around this long! Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Vale!


	9. Chapter 9 - Events Repeated

"Spectral Punisher!"

Rex gasps and dodges the dinosaur charging him by mere inches.

"Max, hurry!" he yelled.

Max rushes towards the wall. Suddenly, a dinosaur lands right in front of him. Foolscap laughs.

"You aren't going anywhere, kid!" he cackles.

Max growls, stepping back a step. His hand goes to his side, his fingers brushing the daggers hidden by his jacket.

Foolscap smirks. "You don't have your dinosaurs, do you?" he sneers. "That's too bad. This would've been a lot more interesting if you did."

He raises a hand. "Oh well. Say goodbye, brat!" he says. "Spectral Stinger!"

Max's eyes narrow. Armatus charges, and he pulls out his daggers, slashing it by the nose. The dinosaur jumps back. Foolscap frowns.

"Huh, so he wasn't completely defenseless, huh?" he asks. "This should be good."

Max's eyebrows furrow.

"_It's time to see what these weapons can do…"_ he thinks.

Armatus charges. Max dodges and slashes his daggers again. The dinosaur lets out a roar of pain and jumps back.

"I've gotta find a weak spot…" Max mutters.

He runs towards Armatus. The dinosaur lunges towards him. Max winces as he's hit in the side. Max lands with a grunt. He stands and tries again, this time successfully dodging the dinosaur. He aims for a few areas. Armatus flings him off his back. Max lets out a yelp. He looks to see he's flying towards Foolscap, who's too busy watching the other battle to notice. He grits his teeth and grabs onto the space pirate's hair, earning a yelp from him. Foolscap growls.

"Get off of me!" Foolscap yells, desparately trying to get the teenager off. Max smirks as he notices the pirate is unconsciously floating to the ground. Foolscap grunts, trying to push him off. Finally, the teenager lets go once he's close enough to the floor, landing on his feet.

* * *

Rex fires an arrow towards Gigus, who lets out a roar and stumbles. Sheer narrows her eyes at the teenager.

"So, you're actually using real weapons, huh?" she mutters. "No matter, you're done, anyway!"

Both dinosaurs charge him. Rex growls and runs, loading an arrow in the process. He fires it at Gigus again, hitting it in the same spot.

"Hey, why is he only going after my dinosaur?" Gavro complains.

Sheer pays him no mind, instead ordering another attack. Rex dodges and fires another arrow at Gigus. Gigus stumbles again before charging. It's attack is sluggish, though, allowing Rex to easily dodge and shoot it again.

"_Almost there..."_ he thinks.

Sheer's eyes narrow.

"What is he up to...?" he mutters. Rex shoots Gigus again, in the same spot he's been doing. Sheer gasps.

"No way, is he-?!" she exclaims.

Rex points another arrow at the dinosaur.

"Gavro, tell Gigus to move!" Sheer yells frantically.

The bulky henchmen turns to her in confusion as Rex releases his arrow. It hits in the same lace his others did. Gigus lets out a loud roar. It glows pink before vanishing back into a card.

Sheer growls.

"You...!" she snarls. "You were trying to eliminate it first, weren't you?"

Rex smirks. "Yeah. Shooting Gigus in the same spot over and over really did the trick." he says. "I'm surprised you didn't realize what I was doing sooner."

Sheer growls and raises a hand.

"You're gonna get it now, kid..." she snarls.

Rex's eyes narrow. He pulls out an arrow, loading his bow and aiming it at the remaining dinosaur.

"Let's get this started, then." he mutters.

* * *

Max lands a few more hits. Foolscap scowls and points at him.

"Armatus, get that little twerp!" he yells. The dinosaur charges. Max jumps out of the way, only to meet a tail slamming into his side when he gets up. Max hits the wall with a short cry of pain.

Foolscap laughs loudly.

"What's wrong, brat? Can't take the heat?" he sneers.

Max growls loudly and forces himself to his feet, stumbling a bit.

"Darn…What now…?" he mutters.

He grips his blades tightly.

"_I've gotta find a weak spot…"_ he thinks.

Max attacks again, slicing Armatus's face and legs. Max notices something strange.

"_Wait… he reacted a lot worse when I cut him between the eyes… Could that be his weak spot?"_ he thinks.

Man narrows his eyes.

"Only one way to find out." He mutters.

The teenager darts forward, narrowly dodging Armatus's jaws lunging toward him. Max uses the opening to jump towards its head and land on top of its face. Armatus frantically waves his head around to shake him off, but Max grabs onto its neck, securing himself on the back of its neck.

Foolscap's eyes widen. "Huh? What is he doing?" he sneers.

Max growls and raises one of his daggers over its face, pointing directly in between the dinosaur's eyes.

"_It's now or never!"_ he thinks.

Max lunges the blade into its head and Armatus lets out a loud roar. Its form glows yellow and it returns to its card. Max lands on the floor with a short yelp. Foolscap growls.

"You little punk!" he yells.

Max stands with a grunt and stares the henchman dead in the eye. Foolscap glares at him, clenching his fists.

"Try taking me on, brat!" he shouts.

Max points a dagger at him.

"You sure you want me to?" he threatens lowly.

Foolscap gulps.

"Uh… Well, uh… I'm kinda worn out so let's, uh, let's save that for later, huh pal?" he rambles nervously before taking off in fear and hiding behind Gavro. Max sighs and shakes his head before walking over to the back wall, where the crystal is embedded in.

* * *

Rex shoots Maximus with an arrow, who stumbles back. Sheer extends her hand.

"Spectral Punisher!"

Rex dodges by a couple of inches. He loads another arrow, this time aiming it at Sheer. The space pirate shrieks as it hits the wall next to her, narrowly missing her by mere inches.

"Why did you aim at me?! I can't turn into a card, you know!" she yells.

"If I disable the user, the dinosaur won't be as much of a threat." Says Rex. "Besides, your boss apparently is guilty of murdering thousands upon thousands of people. How do I know you haven't done the same?"

"I'm not like Goma! I don't care about mass murder, I just care about getting control over the cosmos!" said Sheer.

Rex scoffs. "Yeah, but you're still guilty of working with a scumbag like him!" he yells, shooting another arrow at her. This time it shoots through her hair. She screams.

"Darn it." Rex mutters. "I've gotta immobilize her somehow…"

Sheer flies away from the arrow and looks around warily. She spots Max approaching the crystal and her eyes widen.

"He's going to get the crystal!" she exclaims. "Maximus, after him!"

Said dinosaur charges Max. Rex's eyes widen.

"Max, look out!" he yells.

Said teen whips around and darts to the left, avoiding the charging dino. Maximus crashes into the wall, making it collapse. Max darts for cover.

Dust fills the room. Max squints his eyes.

"Man, I can't see a thing…" he mutters.

Eventually, the dust clears. Everyone looks to see Maximus buried under tons of debris. Sheer's eyes widen.

"Oh, no! Come on, get up you stupid lizard!" she yells.

"What happened to the crystal?" asks Rex. Max growls and looks around before spotting a sparkle of light among the rubble.

"There!" he says.

Sheer turns and spots it as well. Max runs over to it. Sheer growls and darts toward it as well. Both reach forward. Sheer reaches past Max, who gasps.

"No!" he yells.

Sheer smirks as her hand barely reaches it when an arrow flies right by her, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. She turns to see Rex point another one at her. Max uses the distraction to lunge forward and grab it. Sheer gasps and glares at them.

"You little brats!" she screams. "Maximus, **get them**!"

Max and Rex sprint out of the chamber. Maximus emerges from the rubble and chases after the,. The teens gasp and run faster as they are engulfed in a white light and disappear.

* * *

They reappear in the cave to see Zoe run towards them.

"Guys! Are you okay?" she asks worriedly.

Max grins. "Yeah, we're fine." He says. "How about you? You all rested up?"

She nods. "I'm fine now, I think." She says.

The lizard hops onto a rock.

"Did you get the crystal?" he asks.

Max nods and opens his closed hand to reveal the golden crystal. The lizard nods.

"That's it." He says. "Now to perform the ritual. I have the triceratops card here."

Max nods and stands in the middle of the room. The lizard performs the ritual and the card vanishes. Max collapses.

"That is that." Says the lizard, putting the crystal in its place under the plates.

Rex picks up Max and turns to the lizard.

"Are we done for the day?" he asks.

The lizard nods. "Yeah. I'll take you back home." He replies.

Zoe looks at Max and smiles. The three are engulfed in a white light and disappear. They reappear in Max's backyard.

"Finslly, we're back." Says Rex.

"What happened?" asks Zoe. "It must've been crazy if you're this tired."

Rex sighs.

"I'll tell you everything as soon as we get this goofball in bed…"

* * *

And that's that. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

I've got some news, both good and bad. But mostly good.

The bad news is, it's getting kind of hard to find time to write, as a lot's been going on recently.

So installments might be a bit overdue. But it shouldn't effect the release dates too much (you probably won't see a difference… I don't update that often anyway…)

The good news is, I've got some good ideas and I have an outline for the rest of the series (A vague outline, but an outline nonetheless), so it'll be easier for me to write chapters (in terms of actually writing them, not releasing them).

The other good news is, I have been working on this huge, and I mean _huge_ project for you guys. It's another set of installments for the series _Dragon Ball Z_, and I'm really excited about it. I've got tons already written out to the point that I've already gone past Revival of F. Now, before you guys get into a big fuss about, "Why are you working on this when you could be working on Dinosaur King?!" DO NOT WORRY. Like I said, I've already written practically the entire thing, so it won't affect the release of my other series whatsoever.

Although some of you guys probably won't believe me… Well, you'll see.

I'm really excited for this next series. The writing style is completely different from the one in this storyline, so if you were expecting something similar, well… Just give it a go. It's a lot more satisfying in terms of length and content, so it'll probably be appealing to some of you all.

But yeah, that's all I have for now. Prologue for my new series'll probably be up in a week or two. Until then!

Sayonara!


	10. Chapter 10 - Demands

I just realized. I haven't done the disclaimer in a while. I don't even remember doing one…

Welp, guess I'll start now.

I don't own Dinosaur King. If I did, there'd be a season three.

That a good disclaimer? Yeah, you're right, it could be better… Whatever.

On to the story!

Rex and Zoe are in Max's living room. The others are in the time machine, save Max, who's sleeping in his bedroom.

"So, you got the crystal and then you were teleported to the cave, right?" asks Zoe.

Rex nods. "Yeah. We were cutting it close, though. A couple seconds later and Maximus would've creamed us…" he replies.

Zoe shakes her head with a sigh. "Geez, you guys can't ever stay outta trouble when I'm not around." She mutters.

Zoe chuckles. "True…" she replies. "So… There's four more left, including yours…"

Rex crosses his arms behind his head, falling back onto the carpet. "Yeah… I wonder where it is. Or if the lizard's found it." He murmurs.

Zoe lets out a sigh, looking at the ceiling. "I doubt Rifele's found it yet…" she says.

Rex flinches, sitting up.

"Wait, what?" he asks. "Who's Rifele?"

Zoe eyes him. "The lizard." She answers "His name is Rifele?" he asks. "I expected something weird or goofy."

Zoe shrugs. "I did too, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. He is an ancient creature, after all."

"Brats!"

Rex and Zoe turn to see Dr. Z and the Alpha gang standing on the deck in the backyard.

"What're you guys doing here?" asks Zoe.

Dr. Z crosses his arms. "I'm not about to stand by and let you imps take what is rightfully mine!" he exclaims.

Rex raises an eyebrow. "And that would be…?" he asks.

The scientist laughs, earning cringes from both teenagers. Dr. Z put his hands on his hips. "The crystals, of course! A power strong enough to take down a dinosaur, even while manifested through a human, deserves to be handled by a true genius, not some idiots!" he screeches.

Zoe looks at him, deadpanned. "So I guess that rules out you guys, huh?" she drawls.

The alpha gang's eyes widen. They run up to the girl, Dr. Z pointing a finger to her face.

"Insolent little brat! You don't know anything about the sciences I indulge in, so what gives you the right to call me an idiot?!" he shouts.

Zoe brushes his finger away and stands, crossing her arms.

"An idiot would dive into the situation without knowing what they're getting into. Like you, for example." She says.

"What?! I know exactly what I'm getting into!" Dr. Z screams.

"Yeah. He's a genius, unlike you!" Ursula chimes in.

"If you know so much, then tell us." Rex challenges, standing as well. "What're you getting into?"

The alpha gang stays quiet for a few seconds before Zander speaks.

"We're getting into another adventure, of course!" he proclaims.

Dr. Z smirks. "That's right! We're gonna get those crystals and beat that guy who attacked us earlier!"

"Yeah!" the alpha gang cheers.

"You're all idiots."

They look at Zoe, who walks up to them.

"You have _no idea_ what you're getting into by doing this." She says. "This isn't just another adventure. This is serious."

Dr. Z scoffs. "Like what? Some maniac trying to-"

"_Shut __**up**__and listen."_

Dr. Z gulps at the dark edge in Zoe's voice. He shrinks back nervously.

"You wanna know what you're getting into?" she asks lowly. "Fine, then. I'll tell you. In fact, I'll tell you exactly what's going to happen if you do jump in."

She crosses her arms and turns around, taking a few steps toward the front door.

"You're going to dive into this like it's another game of yours, with no real consequence whatsoever. And then you'll see what really happens. You're going to summon your monsters, get defeated…"

She turns her head to them, narrowing her eyes.

"…and then you'll die."

The others' eyes widen, scrambling backwards. Zoe turns fully to them and walks forward, stepping out onto the deck.

"You're going to get killed, all of you. They're going to destroy you, _he's _going to destroy you." She says. "How do you feel about that?"

Dr. Z gulps and tries to retort. "H-He can't do that to us!" he says.

Rex crosses his arms. "Why not?" he asks. "There's nothing stopping him."

Z scowls. _He's got a point… Ugh, darn it, I hate these kids!_ He thinks.

"Dr. Z."

The man looks at Zoe.

"We'll get the crystals." She says. "We'll see what we can do from there. So until that time comes, stop arguing with us. It's not going to do you any good."

The scientist stares at her for a minute before letting out a groan.

"Fine…" he concedes. "But you had better get them back or else!"

Zoe nods. "Promise." She says.

"Man, I'm hungry…"

They all turn to see Max stumble down the stairs. Rex makes his way over, only for Max to fall right on top of him. Rex lets out a shout.

"Ugh… Geez, my head hurts…" Max says, his words slurred.

Rex, struggling to get Max off of him, glares at the teenager.

"Max, get off of me!" he says, annoyed.

Max looks down to see Rex glaring at him. He flinches and jumps off of him.

"Whoops, sorry Rex…" he says, helping him up. Rex sighs.

"No, it's fine…" he says, rubbing his neck. "You okay?"

Max nods, rubbing his head. "Yeah… I feel like I just ran a mile, but other than that, I'm fine." He says. "Oh, hey Zoe."

Zoe smiles. "Up and kicking, huh? Good." She says.

Max looks at the alpha gang.

"What're they doing here?" he asks.

Zoe rolls her eyes. "They wanted to join in on the hunt for the crystals." She says. "They changed their minds, though, with a little… persuasion."

Rex snickers. The alpha gang glares at them.

"Hey, we decided not to go on our own!" he yells.

"Sure you did." Says Zoe.

"_Can anyone hear me?"_

Zoe looks up. "Hey, it's Rifele." She says. "What's up?"

"What's a Reefle?" asks Max.

"_It's Rifele! And that's me, moron!"_

"Oh…" says Max. "Wait, Rifele? I thought your name would be something weird or goofy."

Rex chuckles.

"_Ugh… Anyway, I've located another crystal."_

"Where is it?" asks Zoe.

"_Get this, it's in a city. New York City, to be exact."_

"Wait, if Goma's there, wouldn't that be… problematic?" asks Rex.

"_Yeah. Which is why you've gotta find it fast."_

The three teens look at each other before nodding.

"Take us there." Says Max.

And… there! I know it's not much, but I felt I needed to get some content out soon. The next chapter might be delayed, a lot's been happening. But who knows? Geez, I've got a lot to get out with the new series I've started, but it's nothing I can't handle!

By the way, Rifele is pronounced Rif-e-lee.

Also, for those of you who don't know, check out my other series for DBZ, _Elusion of the Despondent_. I'll be posting the second chapter pretty soon.

That's all I've got. If I forget the disclaimer in the next chapter, feel free to scream at me in any (non vulgar) manner you desire.

¡Hasta luego!


	11. Chapter 11 - Set in Concrete

Funny story: I wrote this chapter over a week ago and saved it in my computer. The day before this was supposed to be posted on Fanfiction, I checked for any errors I may have missed. Guess what I found?

Nothing.

The file was gone.

So I spent a couple days rewriting this, with a few tweaks here and there. So, without further ado, here's chapter 11 v2.

I don't own Dinosaur King.

* * *

The three teens appear in the middle of a plaza. They look around in awe of the view.

"Woah… This is a lot busier than I remember it…" Rex murmurs.

"No kidding…" Max says.

Zoe looks to the sky. "Hey, Rifele? You figure out where the crystal is yet?" she asks.

"_Yeah. It's pretty close."_

"How far is it?" asks Rex.

"_I'd say around 3 miles, give or take."_

The three teens facefault.

"Are you kidding?!" Max shouts. "It'll take forever to walk that far!"

"_Huh? Really, how?"_

"You might not have seen these before, but there're these things called 'traffic lights,' Rifele." Zoe mutters, crossing her arms. "They're a pain and they slow you down. But they are necessary…"

"_Oh yeah. Man, you humans have it rough."_

Zoe scoffs. "Anyway, like Max said, it'll take way too long to walk that far."

"_Well… Have buses been invented in your time already?"_

"Yeah." Rex replies.

"_Just hop on one of those. It's right down the street you're on."_

"Which way?" asks Zoe.

"_East."_

Max scratches his head. "Uh… which way is east again…?"

Rex groans. "Which way is the sun setting?" he asks.

"Uh…" Max points to the left. "That way."

"It's in the opposite direction. We go left." Rex explains, putting his hands on his hips.

Max chuckles sheepishly. "Right, I knew that…" he says awkwardly.

Zoe rolls her eyes. "Ugh. You two have cash?" she asks.

Rex flinches. "Well, yeah, but… I don't think the machines take money from the future…" he says.

Zoe turns to Max. "You?"

Max's eyes widen. He stuffs his hands in his pockets. "I, uh… I think I left my wallet in my room…"

Zoe rolls her eyes. "Fine, I'll bail you out." She leans close to him. "Just, this, _once._"

Max gulps and nods.

The girl walks over to a bus stop and plops herself down on the couch, crossing a leg over the other with a sigh.

"It'd be easier if Rifele had just teleported us to the stupid crystal…" she mutters, closing her eyes.

Rex sits down next to her. "Right?" he says. "Hopefully we get there before Goma does."

Max walks over and crosses his arms behind his back. "Sure we will!" he says.

A bus stops in front of them. The three teens get on, Zoe handing the driver some cash. The driver eyes them weirdly.

"Why are you three wearing slippers?" he asks.

They flinch.

"Uh… We-we're cosplaying! As, uh…" Max trails off.

"A-As a video game character!" Zoe adds hurriedly. "Y-Yeah, you know? That one character from that one game… that always wears slippers and um, a blue jacket?"

The driver's eyes light up. "Oh, that one! Yes, my daughter loves him. Good to know she's not the only kid out there with an obsession for skeletons."

The three force a laugh and quickly find some seats, sighing in relief.

* * *

"_We're almost there, so wake that idiot up, will ya?"_

Zoe rolls her eyes and pulls back her hand, smacking Max over the head.

"Ow, what was that for?!" he shouts.

"You weren't gonna wake up any other way." She mutters. "Anyway, quit whining, we're almost there."

Max exhales. "Wow that took a long time."

"It's only been ten minutes." Says Rex.

"Right…"

The bus comes to a stop. Zoe stands up. "This the place?"

"_Yeah."_

The three teens quickly get off, looking around.

"So, where is it?" asks Max.

"_Uh… If I'm right, it should be right around where you're standing."_

Max flinches and instinctively looks under his foot. A small blue crystal shines, embedded in the concrete.

Zoe and Rex crouch down. "Huh. Go figure." Says the latter. Zoe looks up at Max. "Guess today's you're lucky day, huh?"

Max chuckles and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess so!" he says. "Now let's get the crystal and get outta here."

Rex frowns. "Wait, how're we gonna get the crystal _out_?" he asks.

Zoe's smile fades. "Right… Uh…" she murmurs.

"We could try and force it out of the sidewalk." Says Max.

"Wouldn't that damage it?" asks Rex.

"_No, of course not. You really think a magic ancient artifact traced back to _dinosaurs_ would be fragile?"_

"Fair point," Zoe says. "But how would be force it out of there?"

"You could use your powers." Rex suggests. "You're fused with Paris, so doesn't that give you a strength boost?"

"I only have super strength when I use the grass stone." Says Zoe.

"Then use it."

Zoe looks away, her hands fumbling with each other. "I don't know…" she says. "I-It changes our appearance and I don't want to risk drawing attention to ourselves."

Rex's eyes narrow.

Max cracks his knuckles. "Alright, then I'll do it." He says.

"Max, people will notice us!" says Zoe.

"_I doubt they'll notice you too much. The only differences in appearance are your eye color and the mark on your forehead."_

Zoe sighs. "Alright, but you can't use the stone here."

"Then where?" asks Max.

Zoe looks around. "Uh… Here, go to that alleyway."

They three wake their way to an alleyway near the traffic light behind them. Max pulls out his stone, closing his eyes.

_Hey, Chomp? You there?_ he thinks.

_I'm here._ The dinosaur replies.

Max flinches. _Wow, you sound a lot different than I thought. Your voice is deeper._ He internally muses.

_That right? Anyway, here's what you have to say to transform. "lucendi, tonitrui, procella, vis"_

The teen nods and repeats the four words.

"Lucendi, tonitrui, procella, vis."

A yellow light engulfs Max and his eyes turn a bright golden yellow, the lightning symbol glowing on his forehead.

"Nice, it's the same as with Zoe." Says Rex.

Max walks back to the stone, Rex and Zoe following suit. Max smirks and pulls back his fist.

"Alright, time to crack open this-" Zoe cuts him off.

"Wait!" she grasps his wrist. "You'll destroy the sidewalk if you punch it like that, you have super strength, remember?"

Max chuckles sheepishly. "Yeah… whoops."

Zoe rolls her eyes and scoffs. Max touches the stone and tries to dig it out with a fingernail.

"It… won't… budge!" he grunts.

"What, was it in there when they first made the sidewalk?" asks Rex.

"_It's possible. After all, these things are pretty old."_

Zoe looks around warily. "Uh, guys? You mind speeding things up here? We're attracting an audience…"

Max and Rex look to find several people staring at them oddly. Zoe flushes. "Max, hurry up!"

"I'm trying!"

Rex sighs, shoving Max over. "Move over, let me see."

The teenager touches the stone before grabbing a pick out of his pocket.

"Why do you have a pick on you?" asks Zoe.

"My parents are archaeologists, what do you expect?"

Rex works the curved point under the stone and pulls it out, smirking.

"There we go." He says, holding it out in front of him.

"Nice, now we can go get you fused and kick Goata's butt!" cheers Max.

"_Goma."_

"Whatever."

"_Geez, you're so carefree…"_

"Oh, do you start talkin' you stupid lizard!"

"Max!"

The teenager turns to find a crowd staring at them, whispering things to each other. Zoe and Rex flush before grabbing Max and taking off. They stop in another alleyway, panting.

"Max, you made us look like idiots!" Zoe snarls.

"Hey, he started it!"

"_I didn't do anything."_

Rex rolls his eyes as they teleport to Max's backyard. Said brown haired teen yawns.

"I'm beat. Imma go take a nap." He says.

"_Don't forget to revert back to your normal form."_

"Yeah, yeah, got it." Max replies, waving the lizard off and walking to his room.

"_Tch. Stupid kid."_

Zoe stretches her arms and starts for the door. "Well, I should get going. See you later, Rex."

"Hold up."

Zoe turns to see a serious glint in Rex's eyes. She flinches.

"Rex, what's wr-"

"What're you hiding?"

Zoe eyes him confusedly.

"What're you talking about?" she asks.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Says Rex. "Back there, when you refused to use your crystal. You said it was because you didn't want to attract attention. That was a lie."

"…how did you know?"

Rex scoffs. "Come on, Zoe. It's been two years but I can still see when you're lying. You can't look anyone in the eye when you do."

Zoe looks off to the side.

"Alright, here's the truth…"

Rex waits, keeping a firm gaze on her.

"…If I use my stone… I'm afraid I might give in to my dinosaur's feral instinct. And if I do…" Zoe eyes him sharply. "I could destroy… everything."

Rex can't hold in the gasp that follows.

* * *

Cliff hangers. Lots of cliff hangers.

I'm so mean, aren't I?

I'm sorry that this isn't very long. But I decided I should get out one whole chapter as a sort of saga bridge before we get into the juicy stuff. Which, if you inferred from my above statement, means that the next chapter will be substantial. Hopefully.

And… I don't have much else to say, other than why this was so overdue. As for that, well…

Let's just say I've a newfound hatred for car accidents.

Please like and subscribe!

Wait, wrong website.

Please R&amp;R!

Sayonara!


	12. Chapter 12 - The Nature of Things

Sorry I haven't updated, but FINALS!

Note: Zoe says some pretty creepy stuff in this chapter. Just a heads up.

* * *

"Destroy everything?" asks Rex, shocked.

Zoe nods. "I don't know why, but somehow when I'm using the stone… I seem to lose myself. I fall into senselessness. Rifele thinks the stone may be having an effect on me."

"Wait, so that's why you didn't use your stone back in New York?" Rex inquires.

"Yeah. I didn't know what could've happened if I went all barbaric like that again…" Zoe replies.

"Hold on, what about Max? Why did you let him use his stone?"

Zoe eyes him confusedly.

"I mean, if you lost yourself…? How did you know Max wouldn't either?" Rex elaborates. "Why did you let him use the stone even though there was a risk he'd go crazy?"

Zoe looks down at her feet. "…I didn't know for sure that he would. But I knew for sure that I would. I was willing to take that risk because there was a small chance Max would have control over himself. On the other hand if I used my stone… I was definitely going to lose myself."

"How do you know that?"

"I… just have a feeling that it'll happen. Something in my gut that's telling me not to do it."

"What would you have done if he did lose himself?"

"Rifele told me he would've transported us to the caverns and subdued him if he did."

Silence falls over the two. Rex inhales softly before looking at her.

"…What's it like? To lose yourself?" he asks hesitantly.

"I'm… not sure. I don't really remember… I mean, I know that I did lose myself, but I'm not sure what it was like _when_ it happened, you know? And I haven't really felt any different since then…"

Rex stares at her for a few seconds before flinching at the smile that crosses the girl's face.

"Although, there is one thing that's different… I can't quite explain it… It's like… A rush of exhilaration… When I get it, I feel really pumped." Zoe turns her head to look at him, and Rex visibly jumps when he sees the malice in her eyes. "…I feel what can only be described as a rush of excitement. The high after doing something… big."

Rex unconsciously starts to shiver as Zoe lets out a low chuckle.

"You know, something weird happened when I was at the caverns the other day. It was when you guys were in Egypt. It was strange. I was pacing around the tunnel that led into the chamber with the stone plates, and then I tripped and slammed onto the rocky floor. I'd bruised my knee pretty bad, but… Something started to resonate inside me…" Zoe smiles wider. "The pain… I seemed to like it. I don't know why… But it made me feel really weird, in a good way. I started to get that feeling of excitement and I stood up and started for the chamber. I was limping, yeah… But each pulse of pain that came with every step just intensified the euphoric feeling I was experiencing." Zoe laughs. "I dunno. Guess that's just the masochist in me, huh?"

Rex can only stare at her in stunned silence as she gets up and stretches. She looks at him with a completely normal smile.

"I'm gonna go get a snack. You want anything?" she asks, as if completely oblivious to what she'd just said. Rex gapes at her for a couple more seconds before shaking his head, quickly turning his gaze to the ground as sweat starts to form on his forehead.

"_What on Earth…? That, that wasn't Zoe…"_ he thinks, uneasy.

* * *

The next day, Rex decides to wake up early and walks out into the backyard, his conversation with Zoe leaving an ache of worry and nervousness in his stomach.

"_Guess that's just the masochist in me, huh?"_

The teen inhales sharply and looks to the sky.

"Rifele?"

No answer.

He tries again, louder this time. Nothing.

Rex lets out a sigh and turn to walk back inside when a voice echoes through the air,

"_What's up?"_

Rex flinches and turns back around, looking to the blue and gold sky.

"Rifele?"

"_The one and only."_

"I have something I need to tell you…"

"_What is it?"_

Rex gulps, a fist clenching at his side.

"Well… Zoe said something… frightening yesterday."

A pause. Then, _"What would that be?"_ The sudden tone shift from lighthearted to completely serious isn't lost on the blonde haired teenger.

Rex takes in a breath. "She said something about… Bruising her knee yesterday."

"_Oh, is that all? Kid, don't know if you've noticed, but these things happen."_

"No, it's not that! It's… what she said afterwards! She said it hurt and she _liked it_."

Another pause.

"… _She liked… it? She liked the pain…?"_

"Yeah. I was pretty horrified. She described the feeling as a wave of euphoria… Rifele, you don't think it could have to do with the stone… do you?"

"…_it might."_

"It _might_?"

"_I… I'm not sure. I mean, I have a theory, if you can call it that."_

"What's that?"

"_I think that the stone may be partially involved in this. It might be influencing her. And then… there's also the fact that the stone has a direct link to dinosaurs."_

"Your point being…?"

"_Dinosaurs can sometimes feel excited or exhilarated at the feeling of pain. It can give them an adrenaline rush. That's probably the euphoria Zoe was feeling before."_

"Hey, so… does that concept also apply to when Zoe… lost herself in the fight with Goma?" Rex asks.

"_Maybe. All dinosaurs, no matter the circumstance, can get the urge to fight. Whether it be in defense of themselves or another, anger, or simply plain excitement. And sometimes, some dinosaur's first instinct to a challenge is to fight. These insincts may be affecting her."_

"So… What you're saying is… Zoe's being affected by the dinosaur's instincts and habits?"

"_Practically, yes."_

Rex looks to the ground in fear. There are so many different things that could happen if that is the case. The blue eyed teen had been involved with dinosaurs and paleontology his entire life, and he'd had Ace for a long time. But despite all that, he still didn't fully understand the mindset of a dinosaur, let alone a girl practically being controlled by one. Or a dozen.

"What do we do?"

Rifele stays silent for a few seconds before answering. _"…I want you to keep tabs on her. Something isn't right here, I can feel it."_

Rex nods, suddenly determined to help one of his closest friends. "I will. I definitely will."

"_Good."_ The pleasantness has returned to the lizard's voice. _"Thank you for telling me. I need to look into this."_

"Thanks, Rifele."

"_Anytime, kid."_

Rex lets out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He feels a wave of relief wash over him. It's nice to know there's someone he can talk to.

"So that's why she was acting that way."

Rex jumps, whipping around to see Max leaning against the screen door with his arms crossed.

"You were listening to us?" he asks.

Max lets out a sigh. "Yeah."

Rex, suddenly aware of the glare his best friend had trained on him, looks to the floor.

"Sorry, Max. I-I was gonna tell you, eventually…" he murmurs.

"Eventually?" Max asks, an incredulous edge to his voice.

"…sorry."

Max stares at Rex for a few more minutes before straightening. Rex looks at him hesitantly.

"Whatever, don't worry 'bout it." He says, waving him off and walking back upstairs. Rex stares at his retreating form, still in stunned silence at Max's sudden display of resentment. It's then that Rex realizes how much Max has grown past his years.

The thought leaves a dull ache in the blonde's chest, but Rex shakes it off and retreats into the living room with a sigh.

* * *

A few hours later…

Zoe walks in.

"Hey guys!" she says cheerfully.

Rex approaches her, slightly wary. Zoe doesn't seem to notice.

"Hey." He greets.

"Where's Max?" she asks.

Then, as if on cue, said teen pops out from behind the stairwell.

"Hiya." He says. Rex stares wide eyed at him. He's acting as if nothing had happened earlier that morning.

"Woah, what happened to you?" Zoe asks. "Didn't get much sleep?"

Rex flinches, suddenly noticing how disheveled Max looks. The brown haired teen rubs the bags under his eyes.

"Eh," he replies. "Coulda gotten a few more Z's."

"That right?" she asks. "Well, I'm here now. Whatcha guys wanna do?"

Max suddenly grins widely. "Oh, hey! I just got that new movie _Attack of the Mutant Samurai_! I've been dying to watch it!"

Zoe sighs. "You just love that sorta stuff, huh?" she mutters. "Ah well. We don't really have anything better to do."

"Hey, Rex, ya mind getting some popcorn?" asks Max. Rex narrows his eyes.

"What do I look like, a butler?" he mutters.

Max pouts. "But I have to get the movie pulled up!" he whines. Zoe giggles at their antics.

"Oh geez…" she sighs. Rex scoffs and grudgingly stomps over to the kitchen. Max's pout fades into a frown as he turns to Zoe and grabs her wrist. The girl flinches.

"Max, wha-" she starts.

"Come with me." He says, pulling her over to the backyard. He puts his hands on her shoulders, his gaze suddenly becoming serious.

"Max? What's wrong?" she asks.

"Zoe… you know we're friends, right?"

"What? Of course we are, wh-"

He cuts her off sharply. "And you know you can tell me anything, right?"

The girl stiffens. Max's stern gaze melts into a more worried one.

"You don't have to hide anything, you know…" he says.

Zoe can only stare in stunned silence as Max exhales heavily.

"Zoe… I know you're hiding something. About your powers. But, y'know… You don't have to. You can tell us." He says.

The girl, completely blown away by her friend's statement, starts to tear up before hugging him tightly. Max pats her back lightly in response.

"I… I know." She replies softly. "Thanks Max."

"Anytime." He murmurs.

The girl pulls away, wiping her eye a little before smiling.

"I'm okay." She says, already guessing what he was going to ask.

Max smiles reassuringly before making his way inside, leaving Zoe to stare at him with a dark look on her face.

"_Does he know…? No. I can't allow him to find out. Not yet."_

* * *

Nyeh Heh Heh! That took so long to write. I'm really sorry for the wait, finals were crazy. BUT! Now that it's summer time, I should have more time to write. Hopefully this at least partially satisfying. I'm going to be honest, I've lost some of my drive for this series so it isn't going to be nearly as long as I thought it'd be. Probably 3 to 4 installments. We're on the second one right now, as you may (and should, it's in the title) know. I originally had, what, 7 or 8 planned? But I'm afraid after this summer that many will be nearly impossible to write. Rather, the updates will be very spread apart. I don't want to have to keep you guys waiting that long. I feel like it's better to have a trilogy that's (somewhat) good rather than a long series that rarely ever updates and doesn't have that much time put into it. And if you think I'm being hypocritical because of _Elusion of the Despondent_, then just hear me out for like, 2 sentences. I've already had _Elusion of the Despondent_ written out _months_ ago. I was just apprehensive about posting it on , or the internet in general. Yes, there has been some minor plot tweakage but that's it.

*sigh* Anyway, I'm done rambling. Sorry if that sounded rude, just wanted to get the point out there. Anyway, I have some neat stuff planned out for the next couple of chapters, so stay tuned and stay awesome! Byee~!


	13. Chapter 13 - Collisio (Part One)

ME: I HAVE STUFF PLANNED, I SAID.

EVERYONE: WHERE IS IT?!

ME: I'M WORKIN ON IT! DX

But on a more serious note, I really am sorry this took so long. Things have gotten a little crazy on my end. But don't worry, I went ahead and wrote out the entire finale, not just part one. Yaaaaay.

Oh, by the way,

THIS IS THE FINALE OF BOOK TWO.

I DON'T OWN DINOSAUR KING.

LEGGO.

* * *

Goma slouches in his chair, the (relatively vacant) meeting room being the lesser of two eyesores in front of him. He lets out a growl, his head resting on a fist. His other hand clenches the papers in his hand before letting them drift to the floor like feathers.

"The girl… there's something off about her…" he mutters. "I'm not entirely sure what, but if my theory is correct, then… it's possible she might not have complete control over her powers."

Foolscap scoffs, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Cause she seemed pretty in control the last time we fought her."

A sharp gaze snaps to him, making Foolscap jump in fear.

**"****Are you questioning me?" **a low voice rumbles.

The three henchmen flinch violently, sweating nervously.

"N-No!" Foolscap stutters. "Not at all, Goma!"

"_Lord_ Goma?"

"R-Right, Lord Goma."

The overlord stands, walking over to a lone table in the room and picking up a small vial filled to the brim with black liquid.

"Her weakness could be used to my advantage…" he mutters.

"How?" asks Sheer.

"Well, to put it simply…" Goma flashes a wicked smirk at his three henchmen. "You three might be getting replaced."

Sheer scowls. "Wha- you're going to recruit her?!" she yells. "What's wrong with us?!"

Goma scoffs. "Please, you three ran away the moment that pink haired brat got the least bit threatening."

Foolscap mentally rolls his eyes. The man conveniently left out the part where he ordered them to retreat.

"How are you gonna recood her though?" asks Gavro.

"Recruit, Gavro." Goma corrects. He holds the vial up and stares at it intently before pocketing it. He stalks over to his chair silently, seating himself.

"I have a method that could work, but it involves doing something that has never been done before. Or at least, to my knowledge." He murmurs.

"And what exactly is that?" asks Foolscap.

"I've done plenty of research on the topic. However, I am not entirely sure it will work."

"He didn't answer the question…" Sheer mutters, unaware that her boss had heard her well.

"Eager, aren't you? You always were my favorite, Sheer." The woman flinches at the mention of her name. "Or perhaps… you are just nosy…" Goma frowns. "I don't appreciate the attitude."

She flinches and nods quickly, shying away from her boss. Goma scowls at her cowardice, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

"As I was saying," he continues. "I'm not entirely sure if this will work, but if it does, it could prove to be our most valuable asset."

"Our most valuable asset?" asks Foolscap.

"Yes… If my research and tests are valid, then I may be able to fuse the liquid in the vial with a move card."

"What?!" exclaims Foolscap.

"But hasn't that quack doctor already done something to enhance moves?" asks Sheer. "You said it's never been done before."

"Now I know you haven't been listening." Goma sighs. "I said what I'm doing hasn't been done before, I never said nothing has ever been done to enhance moves."

Sheer eyes him confusedly. Goma hisses between his teeth. How were his henchman so incredibly stupid?

"It's true, that idiot of a scientist has done something to enhance moves. But he never actually fused anything with the cards or the stones. He simply made something that would work alongside the stones and cards." He explains. "I'm doing something much more complicated. I am going to fuse a foreign variable with a move card. That fool's toys enhanced the moves in a way that amplified their effects. I'm doing something that will change the effect a move has on its victim."

He takes out his Venom Fang card. "Venom Fang originally incapacitated its victim through paralysis. However, if my experiment is successful, then I can change the effect so that it will instead poison the victim, whether they be a dinosaur or a person."

"Poison? I thought you were gonna recruit her." says Gavro, horribly confused.

Goma smiles maliciously. "I'm not talking about poisoning of the body, I'm talking about poisoning of the _mind_."

He lets out a dark chuckle, sending shivers down his three henchmen's spines.

"That damned girl won't know what hit her…"

* * *

Zoe walks up to Rex, clearly upset.

"Rex."

He turns to her. "What's up, Zoe?" he asks cooly.

"What did you tell Max?"

Rex flinches.

"I know you said something. He told me this morning, that I could trust him if I needed help, that he'd be there to support me. He'd never say something like that so suddenly unless he knew something was wrong. What did you tell him, Rex?" she demands, getting increasingly angrier by the minute.

The blonde shrinks back a bit, wary of Zoe "losing herself" again. "I-I didn't tell him anything! Honest! I… I asked Rifele about what you said, and Max overheard me…"

Zoe isn't pleased with the answer, and Rex can see that. However, the girl simply shakes her head and sighs.

"Right… I'm sorry, Rex… I didn't mean to snap like that… I was just…" she trails off, looking away.

"Upset?"

"Yeah…"

"Hey, it's fine. I understand. And trust me, Max does too, more than you know. He was, no, he _is_ worried about you. He's got a reason to, you are one of his closest friends." Rex inwardly chuckles. _"That's an understatement."_ He thinks.

Zoe smiles at that. "Yeah… I appreciate it, really… I just wish he wouldn't worry _this_ much…"

Rex smirks.

He turns toward the screen door. "C'mon. Dr. Taylor said we were going to the park soon."

Zoe's grin widens and she follows him inside.

_"__Maybe them knowing isn't so bad…"_ she thinks.

* * *

Goma squeezes the pipet, the black liquid dripping onto a card on the table. The card begins to glow, purple smoke wafting from it. He smirks.

"And here it is…" he mutters. The glow begins to fade and he picks it up. The front of the card is marked with a black star.

"…it's only a matter of time now…"

He shrugs off his lab coat and removes his goggles, trading them in for a black coat. He eyes the card, chuckling for a bit, before pocketing it.

"…before that blasted creature learns her place."

* * *

Sheer lets out another growl pacing around the room as Gavro and Foolscap sit in in the corner, the latter watching the woman irritably.

One more groan makes Foolscap snap. "Ugh, shut up! You've been groaning and moaning like it's the end of the world for an hour now, give it a rest!" he snarls.

Sheer glares at him. "Aren't you mad?! Goma threatened to replace us! How the heck are you okay with that?!" she shoots back.

"I'm not! But what can we do? You realize what'll happen if we try to stand up to him, right?" Foolscap asks.

Sheer pales, remembering one of the "punishments" her boss had given another one of his assi- no. Assistants was wrong. …no one here, no one, was anything more to Goma than a servant.

"I know…" she growls. "But I can't just stand by! What's gonna happen to us if she does get recruited?!"

Foolscap goes quiet at that.

"I don't know what he's planning to do with her… But whatever it is… it'll be bad for the both of us."

_"__Sheer, Foolscap, Gavro. Main deck, now."_

The three look at each other. Sheer scowls deeply and departs, the other two following close by.

"What is it, sir?" Foolscap asks.

"We're going back to those kids' place. We're going to attack again." Goma answers, his back turned to them.

"What?! Don't you remember what happened the last ti-" Sheer yells.

"I'm aware of that, Sheer. But things are different now."

Sheer eyes him confusedly. Goma smirks and holds up his modified move card.

"I've finally done what I said I'd do." He sneers. "And now that girl won't stand a chance. Now, get on the ship and set coordinates for their place immediately."

"Okay, but first let me get my cards-" says Foolscap.

"No. You won't be needing them."

The three henchman turn to him in confusion.

Goma smirks darkly. "I am the only one that will be fighting. As for you three, you'll be there to man the ship." He says.

He chuckles. _"And serve as bait…"_ he internally sneers.

Sheer and Foolscap scowl, biting back retorts before they all stalk to the ship, leaving Goma to his own devices.

"Won't be long now…"

* * *

Zoe sighs. "Wonder how long it'll take for Rifele to find the next stone…" she muses. "Speaking of which, Rex, you never fused with Ace, did you?"

Rex shakes his head. "No, not yet."

"So, what'll you do if we're attacked again?"

Max laughs. "Don't be silly, Zoe! We've got his back, right?"

Rex and Zoe smile. "Yeah, you're right." She says.

A bright light appears outside, and Goma appears in the backyard, alone. The three teens turn and catch sight of them, immediately leaping to their feet.

"Goma…" Zoe whispers.

Max runs outside, pushing the door open and halting in front of the overlord. Rex and Zoe follow.

"What're you doing here?!" he demands.

"Simple. I want a rematch." Goma replies curtly.

Rex quirks an eyebrow. "We beat you once before, and back then only one of us had the powers of our stones. Now two of us do." He says. "Besides, you look like you're alone? What happened to Gavro, Foolscap, and Sheer?"

Goma scoffs. "Those three were getting in my way." He mutters, annoyed.

Zoe raises an eyebrow disbelievingly before stepping forward and jerking her thumb behind her.

"You know the terms." She says sternly. "We relocate."

"Right."

Goma nods somewhat begrudgingly before yelling up at his ship floating above the house to teleport them elsewhere. They appear in the area in which they first fought.

"Why here?" asks Zoe.

"It's the most convenient area." Goma answers nonchalantly. "Now…"

He summons Eocarcharia, grinning maliciously. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Max and Zoe share a look before taking their own stances. Zoe closes her eyes and holds out a hand in front of her.

"Herba, Gramen, Pratum, Schoenus, grant me your power…"

Her form is enveloped in green light before she appears as she did the last time she transformed; her eyes green and the grass symbol on her forehead.

Max stares at her in awe before looking at his own hand in confidence. He closes his eyes, holding it out in front of him.

"Lucendi, tonitrui, procella, vis, grant me your power."

His form is enveloped in yellow light before appearing, his eyes having changed as well from purple to gold. The lighting symbol rests on his forehead.

"You ready Zoe?" he asks, grinning at her.

"Oh yeah." she replies, smirking back. "We've got your back, Rex."

Rex smiles at the two of them. Goma smirks, his hand reaching toward the pocket containing his modified move card.

_"__This will be very interesting…"_ he thinks.

* * *

Woo! Done it! I am _so_ sorry this took so long. Life hit me, and it hit me hard. Luckily I went ahead and had the rest of the finale written out, and some future scenes as well.

Of course, that really doesn't make up for anything. That being said I may be sketching out a scene from this chapter and posting it on Tumblr. Don't expect much if it happens, though… I'm not exactly a professional artist…

Anyway, the next update will be posted earlier than next week. The latest I have planned for it is Wednesday, so stay tuned for that. Once again, I'm really sorry for the lack of content regarding this story, things will start to pick up, eventually. Got some things I need to sort out first. I really want to thank you guys for following and favoriting this series, it means more to me than you know. Really, thank you guys so much. I can also try and do simple sketches of certain scenes if you guys would like to see that (again, don't expect much regarding quality. All I got is paper, mechanical pencils, and a printer for scannin stuff. And don't expect very many sketches, either). Let me know.

Ja ne!


	14. Chapter 14 - Collisio (Part Two)

Sooner update with battle free of charge! Warning: it's a little graphic.

I don't own Dinosaur King. Nope.

* * *

Max attacks first, clenching his fists and electricity circles his form.

"Electric charge!" he sprints forward, getting ready to ram into the dinosaur and shock it. Eocarcharia dodges, though. Max stumbles forward before righting himself.

Zoe clicks her tongue before attacking as well. "Stomping Hammer!" She jumps up high and descends over Eocarcharia, aiming her elbow towards it. She nails the dinosaur in the back and it collapses. Goma reaches to take out the modified card when Max runs past him, his right hand glowing a bright gold.

"Lightning Strike!" He thrusts his arm up and a bolt of lightning strikes Eocarcharia, the dinosaur let out a loud roar. Goma scowls.

"I need to incapacitate that boy and poison the wench before my dinosaur is defeated…" he mutters. "Guess I'll have to use them, huh?"

He looks up at the ship. "Gavro! Get down here and capture that boy with the blue jacket!"

Zoe flinches. "Rex…" she whispers. "No, you don't…"

Gavro appears on the ground and charges towards Rex. Zoe growls.

"Metal Wing!" Three pteranodons sweep in and a green sword appears in Zoe's hand. Gavro lunges forward, Rex bracing himself, before one of the pteranodons knock him off his feet. Zoe gets in front of Rex.

"Stand behind me and don't leave, no matter what." She orders.

"Yeah…" he replies, somewhat in shock.

Max grits his teeth. "Gatling Spark." He mutters.

He dives forward toward Eocarcharia, punching the dinosaur multiple times before kicking it in the side, sending it flying. Goma grits his teeth angrily.

"Darn… I need to get to the girl…" he mutters. "Gavro, retreat to the ship! Now"

The henchman gives him an odd look. Goma growls. "Now!" he yells. Gavro flinches and hurries to the ship, teleporting inside. Zoe gives Goma a suspicious look before pointing her sword toward him.

"I've gotta take him out…" she mutters. "It's the only way…"

"Zoe, you can't kill him, though… It'd make you no better than him."

She sucks in a breath between her teeth in frustration. "I know…" she hisses.

Goma takes out the modified card. "It's almost time…"

Zoe walks forward to stand next to Max. She eyes him out of the corner of her eye. "Tag team?" she suggests.

"I'm down for it,"

"Good."

Max and Zoe clench their fists.

"Big Foot Assault." Says Zoe. A Seismosaurus appears behind her and she points at Eocarcharia. "There's your target. Go get em, big guy."

The Seismosaurus charges forward, stomping on Eocarcharia three times before disappearing. Goma frowns deeply.

"I have to finish this now…" he mutters.

"Go, Max!" Zoe yells.

Max's eyes narrow. He runs forward and grabs Eocarcharia by the neck, flinging him up in the air. He jumps high in the air to hover over him, pulling back a sparking fist.

"Thunder driver!"

Max punches the dinosaur in the stomach, driving it into the ground. Eocarcharia roars before getting on its feet again, lunging at Max at a speed he can't track. Max is thrown aside, landing on his shoulder painfully.

"Max!" Zoe yells. She glares at Goma, who holds out Venom Fang. He smirks.

"Venom Fang."

Eocarcharia launches toward Max, who slowly gets to his feet and glares at the attack. Zoe calls on the pteranodons and grabs onto one, racing toward him.

Goma chuckles darkly. "Go get that miserable wench." He says.

Eocarcharia redirects itself towards Zoe, who's eyes widen.

Max's eyes widen as well. "Zoe, look out!" he all but screams.

"She can't get out of the way fast enough…" Goma mutters gleefully.

Eocarcharia lunges at Zoe, who dodges as much as she can. A fang cuts into her arm and Zoe chokes on a shriek. Max grunts, sprinting over and ramming into Eocarcharia, sending it flying far away from the two of them. Zoe groans, clutching onto her bleeding arm. Max crouches next to her.

"You okay?" he asks worriedly.

She sends him a strained smile. "Y-Yeah…" she says hoarsely. "I'm okay…"

She stands and Max follows. "Let's beat this sucker into the ground." She seethes.

"Yeah…" Max growls next to her. Their eyes begin to glow intently, both overcome with anger.

Eocarcharia gets on its feet. Max and Zoe's eyes narrow.

"Ultimate Thunder!"

"Ultimate Leaf!"

Both are enveloped by golden and green light, respectively. They charge forward, pulling back glowing fists before ramming them into Eocarcharia. The dinosaur lets out one final cry of pain before dissolving into a card. Goma watches from the sidelines, completely unfazed.

Max and Zoe look and each other and grin, high fiving. They turn to Goma and frown upon noticing the smug look on the man's face.

"What? Why do you look at me like that?" he sneers. "You've defeated me yet again! Aren't you happy?"

"Something isn't right here…" Max says. "Why don't you look upset?"

"Oh, that?" Goma laughs. "Well… Even though I've been defeated… You've made one fatal mistake."

"What's that?" asks Rex.

"Don't you find it odd that I waited to use my move card until the last minute?" Goma asks, spreading his arms apart. "You noticed it, didn't you? How I refrained from using any moves until the end of the battle?"

"…why?" asks Zoe.

Goma grins darkly. "Why? It's because I was never out to destroy you at all." He replies. "I was out to get something from you."

"What's that?" asks Max.

Goma smirks widely before pulling out Venom Fang. Zoe's eyes widen.

"What's that crest on the front of the card?" she asks.

"Your sign of betrayal."

She flinches. "What?!"

"Look at the cut on your arm."

They all look at the cut on Zoe's arm and gasp. The cut is gone, replaced with the crest on the front of the card,

"W-What did you do to me?!" she yells.

"Impulsus."

Zoe freezes, her pupils dilating.

"Zoe?" asks Max.

"Collisio."

Zoe's green eyes fade to black, the symbol on her forehead changing to the black star.

Goma chuckles. "Come." He says, holding out a hand.

Zoe takes a stumbling step forward before approaching Goma.

"Z-Zoe! What are you doing?!" yells Rex.

"No! Don't join him! He's possessing you!" Max pleads.

Goma smirks. "Very perceptive. But I'm afraid your begging won't help you now."

"How?! How did you do this?!" Rex demands.

"Simple. I fused Venom Fang with a foreign variable. A substance that poisons one's mind, to be exact."

Rex and Max's eyes widen.

"Y-You fused poison with a move card! But that's impossible!" Rex stutters.

"Apparently it isn't if I just did." Goma sneers.

Zoe reaches forward and takes his hand, her eyes faded. Goma smirks.

"Now if you don't mind, we'll be taking out leave." He says, walking toward to portal to his ship. Max growls and runs toward the two, lunging forward.

"Zoe!"

He falls to the ground as they teleport in the ship and depart. Max stares at the sky in horror before gritting his teeth tightly and slamming his hands on the ground.

"No, No, Damn it!" he yells in frustration.

Rex's hands shake. "Z-Zoe…"

Max's eyes narrow, his gold eyes burning brightly.

"Don't worry…" he mutters. "I'm gonna save you… no matter what."

* * *

Zoe and Goma walk into the meeting room. Sheer, Foolscap, and Gavro jump to their feet.

"Wh-What is _she_ doing here?!" Sheer yells.

"I thought I told you I was going to recruit her." Goma replies.

Foolscap frowns. "So then you are replacing us?" he asks.

Goma laughs a little. "Maybe." He smirks widely at the looks on his henchman's faces. "Oh, don't look so horrified. If it happens, it won't be anytime soon. Besides, I have… other plans for her."

He tugs her hand once and they walk out of the room. Sheer and Foolscap look at them suspiciously and follow them at a distance. They walk down a long hallway and enter the "basement" of the ship, where a couple cells sit. Foolscap's eyes widen.

"Woah, is he imprisoning her?" he whispers.

"I think so… but why?" Sheer replies quietly.

Goma stops in front of the last cell in the corridor and kicks open the door. He grabs Zoe by the back of her neck and shoves her in, closing the door and locking it. He smirks.

"I'm going to have to run some tests on you… I need to know how to make you snap… and how much stronger you will become." He sneers. "Understand?"

"Yes, Lord Goma." Comes the quiet reply.

Goma chuckles. "Good." With that, he stalks off. Sheer and Foolscap duck behind the wall and Goma walks right past them, stopping at the doorway.

"You two are very nosy, aren't you?"

They flinch, shrinking into the wall as much as they can. Goma, to their surprise, says nothing more, instead continuing on his way. They sigh and walk over to the cell Zoe sits in.

"…tests?" asks Foolscap.

"I don't know…" Sheer replies.

* * *

In Zoe's mind…

Zoe floats in a dark void, trapped by dark tendrils.

"What is this…! I-I can't… I can't control my body at all…!" she says. "P-Paris…! Paris, can you hear me?!"

No reply comes. Zoe looks down, growing increasingly terrified.

"I'm all alone…" she whispers. "…and trapped."

She screws her eyes shut.

"Guys… please hurry…"

* * *

Aaand boom! Book two is com-plete! Yay! This chapter is shorter than I thought it was gonna be, but hopefully the content (and cliffhanger. I'm a jerk, I know.) will compensate. But yeah, plot twist! Feels pretty cliché, though…

Meh, whatevs. What I have planned for later isn't. I think.

Please leave a review and subscribe-no wait-follow for news about da next book an chapta!

Bye~!


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